Let's not mince words: It's absurd and disingenuous that authorities in Waco haven't yet released results from ballistics reports to tell us how many of the nine deceased and 18 wounded at the Twin Peaks massacre were shot by bikers and how many by cops. And every court hearing or public pronouncement where they avoid divulging that surely-by-now-known information undermines their credibility and gives the impression that many if not most victims were killed by police officers, not outlaw bikers.
Next week, we'll finally see examining trials (which are only allowed in cases where the D.A. has not sought an indictment from a grand jury) for a few defendants, but even then it seems likely the state will skate by without answering the fundamental question of who shot whom.
At Above the Law, Texas Southern's Tamara Tabo explains how DA Abel Reyna and his former law partner, District Judge Matt Johnson (who issued a gag order in the case) have successfully tamped down media access to even basic information about what happened that day. It's a good update of where we're at and why, give it a read.
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15 comments:
It's been my observation over the years, that when one policeman shoots, they all start shooting, whether they have a target or not. Happens over and over nationwide. There's no downside for them, except to be the only guy not to have fired your weapon later in the police locker room.
When the shooting starts, anyone with a firearm in his hand is going to be a target. And when you are in the middle of a firefight with folks dropping and yelling and bullets chipping away...you probably pull your CHL piece or try to get to your firearm in your vehicle. That said, citizens, knowing they will be accountable for every round, aren't just going to blaze away. They have to see a target. And it's very doubtful they will fire on an LEO in uniform.
I expect all the killed and wounded were shot by the police, don't you?
It would be interesting to hear how many of the arrestees are CHL holders or were carrying a legal weapon in their vehicle. The police made a big deal out of how many weapons they found, but those numbers were padded with everything from pocketknives to crescent wrenches. I know these were supposed to be two or three uber-criminal motorcycle gangs meeting for nefarious purposes...but that's the police story. These gatherings had taken place previously with no problems. Twin Peaks even seemed to have scheduled them and/or invited the ralleys to take place at the restaurant. Police and prosecutors and judges need to come clean. Some of us noted that the video feeds off the seven light and sound towers surrounding the Branch Davidians all "went down" the morning of the fatal raid there, but I don't think that's going to be the case at Twin Peaks. Might as well cough it up and let the chips fall as they may.
Mr. Henson, I'm not sure your info is correct. There has already been one examining trial: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/twin-peaks-biker-shooting/judge-rules-twin-peaks-biker-wife-jailed-with-sufficient-probable/article_7f6da5d8-b70f-55fc-9cd3-6f7dc9d56964.html
And several others were scheduled for last week, though lawyers seem to have scuttled them — one frustrated lawyer said "If I couldn’t win one that was a slam-dunk, why would I even try with a tougher one?" (referring to the first trial).
Here's the full schedule as of Aug. 11: http://www.wacotrib.com/news/twin-peaks-biker-shooting/visiting-judge-sets-examining-trials-in-biker-cases/article_675d0814-5f57-51a5-9efe-ad93050e3771.html
I'd sent a request to AG Paxton for a special prosecutor; never did get a response but then he's got his own legal problems now.
Maybe the Gov. or Lite Gov. would be more responsive. And maybe pigs fly on their own power.
As a motorcycle enthusiast I believe I'll avoid passing through Waco.
btw, that captcha thing is a p.i.a.
"Might as well cough it up and let the chips fall as they may."
You do realize that we're talking hundreds of millions of dollars here in regards to federal lawsuit settlements, right?
I predict an even more thorough cover-up in this case than was attempted in the Branch Davidian Massacre.
The greatest weapon is not a gun,nor is it nuclear. it is information control.
Any change to Texas law enforcement would be involuntary on their part, and cataclysmically violent on their part.
THEY'RE still figuring how much cover-up and lying is necessary to ensure they all get to keep their jobs and attitudes---when all they did was waste a pile of citizens.
If it was too bad, then eventually some scapegoat will have to take paid leave or quit THE FORCE.
May the force be with you? No, they're mostly their only for themselves, just following orders to get paid. And they get to shoot guns!
Wouldn't the Lite Gov look down on bars and bikers, and therefore, in his infinite wisdom, provide no help at all?
Only the rich are getting power, and their intent is only to get richer. As the cops are amped up and militarized, they can protect those in power from revolution.
Will our kids live in a darker police state?
Yeah, I thought old "captcha" matching letters sucked. On a small computer, how do you even SEE the pictures you have to match?
Not sure of how many LE entities 'were involved in this set up, I remember seeing LE vehicles of many stripes, who made accountability with each organization, to insure what weapons and ammo were used..is their a central log of this, officer by officer? Do LE do toxicology tests for steroids, alcohol and drug residue when they are involved in shootings? If not, why?
From the autopsies it's pretty clear at least two were killed by small caliber rifle fire.
They have to protect their UC guy. He's going to have a hell of a book to sell some day.
Calling the Cossacks "outlaw bikers" is a stretch. Basically family guys who refused to bullied by the The Fat Mexicans.
Did you see that lawyers for CLEAT were on-hand at Twin Peaks "hydrating" the officers almost instantly - - before the injured and deceased had been removed?
"CLEAT lawyers and staffers were on the scene shortly after reports of the shooting surfaced. Organizer Tracy Chance was allowed access to officers at fixed positions to make sure they had access to water and sports drinks to keep them hydrated. Tracy was able to get the photos posted here."
https://www.cleat.org/2015/05/threats-made-against-officers-after-deadly-gunbattle-waco-pd-says/
Notice the caption on the photos.
"Crews prepare to transport the wounded."
The big guns belong to the Insurance Companies that stand to pay out tens of millions of dollars in wanton negligence cases against Twin Peaks, et al. They are not going to take that hit for some shitbird cops.
They are not going to argue their cases in Waco either.
The very first thing that they are going to do, after all of the cases pile up, is to make motion to dismiss. That motion will be based on the fact that Sargent Swanton and the LEO's are lying about informing Twin Peaks, et al, of the dangers. At that point a federal judge in Dallas is going to give an Order that compels the LEO's to produce discovery. he is not going to take it well when that Order is ignored.
Then the truth will start to come out.
in the mean time there is a short story out on Amazon. It gives a stylized version of what happened and more importantly why it happened. It ain't great literature but it is worth free read. "The Waco Texas Biker Massacre."
There were seventeen gunshot wounds described in the autopsy reports on the nine motorcyclists slain on May 17 at Twin Peaks. All of the victims had entrance wounds of 1/4 in diameter or less (consistent with police rifle ammunition) and no evidence was presented that any of them were inflicted at close range. One of the seventeen was a superficial graze wound caused by a bullet that did not penetrate the victim. Eleven of the remaining sixteen wounds had a downward trajectory, and ten of them were back to front. Could have happened while victims were lying down or crouched facing their shooters, perhaps other weapons used in the altercation could have caused similar wounds. But McClennan County will have to release more evidence to prove all of those who died weren't shot at least once by the police, most of them in the back from above, because there's nothing in the autopsy reports that contradicts that version of events.
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