New Details Shed Light on What Happened During Biker Brawl

ByOLIVIA SMITH ABCNews logo
Thursday, May 21, 2015

Security video from the Texas restaurant that was the scene of a deadly biker gang brawl over the weekend reportedly shows most of the bikers running away from the gunfire.

The footage, reviewed by The Associated Press, is said to show that when the fight broke out, some of the motorcycle riders tried to help point people to safety, and some got on the floor to crawl for cover. Only one reportedly can be seen firing a gun from the restaurant's patio.

Nine suspected gang members died and 170 were arrested, officials said. Police said most have been charged with felony engaging in organized criminal activity and are being held on $1 million bond each. They have termed the incident a capital murder case.

Security VideoRight before the shooting, the video reportedly shows the inside of the Twin Peaks restaurant mostly empty and bikers gathered on the restaurant's patio. The AP reported that it was shown the security footage Wednesday by the representatives of the Twin Peaks franchise.

At 12:24 p.m. Sunday, according to the AP, the first shots are fired and the video reportedly shows bikers, patrons and staff fleeing, running inside the restaurant. Some run into the bathroom and others go to the kitchen. At least three people reportedly were seen on the video with handguns.

The video doesn't show the parking lot where much of the violence occurred, the AP reported. The restaurant has said the fight began outside.

Two minutes after the shooting starts, the footage shows police entering the restaurant with assault rifles. The video reportedly shows bikers on the floor with their hands spread apart.

Who Was Present?Waco Police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton told reporters Tuesday that a "coalition of several bike groups" were invited to the restaurant.

"They had rented out or asked for the outdoor bar area specifically for a meeting that they were having of a group of invited biker gangs," Swanton said. "We know an additional biker gang that was not invited to this meeting showed up," Swanton added. "Hence, what we were calling somewhat of a turf war, if you will."

"When those individuals showed up, there was a disturbance in the parking lot. ... We thought that was about a parking issue. We still believe that that may have been what it was," Swanton said.

The footage shows at least 20 members of the Cossacks gang on the patio, said the AP. Scimitars, Boozefighters and Leathernecks biker gang members are also said to be in the video.

The AP reports that no Bandidos members are seen on the tape, but that police say they were present.

Johnny Snyder told ABC News earlier this week that he was present on the patio, as a vice president of the Boozefighters, adding that his club wasn't involved in the brawling. He described seeing "fighting and people running."

"I heard gunshots and I ran," Snyder said, adding that his group is not a criminal gang.

Weapons in RestaurantThe Waco police Facebook page, administered by Swanton, in a post around midday Wednesday, gave the number of weapons recovered at the scene as "318 and counting." Police originally estimated 1,000 weapons were found, then dropped the number down to 500, before lowering it again.

The Facebook post said police expected the numbers to rise, and broke down the weapons found as follows:

  • 118 Handguns
  • 1 AK-47
  • 157 Knives
  • 43 others

The number adds up to be 319, but the AK-47 was found in a vehicle in the parking lot, according to police.

"The weapons appear to have been discarded as officers arrived and some hastily hidden," the Waco Police post said. "The [weapons] have been found in sacks of chips, stuffed between bags of flour, stuffed into the bench seating, hidden in shelves, thrown into trash cans, placed in the kitchen stoves, discarded on floors and even so far as to attempt to flush a handgun down a commode."

Swanton did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for further comment, and the AP reported that Swanton declined to comment about the video.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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