Texas police, under threat, seek gang truce after deadly brawl

Of the 18 injured in the brawl, seven remain in the hospital and all are in stable condition

WACO, TEXAS: Texas police asked rival motorcycle gangs on Tuesday to put aside their differences after a weekend brawl at a Waco restaurant that left nine people dead and 18 injured, calling for a halt to the carnage and threats of revenge attacks.

“There has been enough tragedy and there has been enough bloodshed in Waco, Texas. We would appreciate there not being any more," Police Sergeant Patrick Swanton told a news briefing.

Waco Police Spokesperson Sgt Patrick Swanson addresses the media in Waco, Texas May 18, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS

He added that threats for reprisal against police from motorcycle gangs have "toned down" but are still a worry for law enforcement officials, who arrested 170 people following Sunday's brawl at the Twin Peaks Sports Bar and Grill in the central Texas city.

Of the 18 injured, seven remain in the hospital and all are in stable condition. Almost all of those involved in the deadly brawl are not from the Waco area, Swanton said.

Those arrested were being held on bail of $1 million each in separate parts of a county jail to prevent an outbreak of violence, county officials said.

Police escort a man at the scene of a shooting in Waco, Texas, in this handout photo provided by the Waco Police Department on May 17, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS

They face organized crime charges relating to capital murder. Charges directly relating to the violence will likely come after an investigation of the bullet-riddled crime scene where gang member attacked each other with guns, knives, clubs, brass knuckles and chains.

Three of those arrested were released from jail when their bond was mistakenly reduced to $50,000, a county judge said.

McLennan County Judge Ralph Strother told Reuters a warrant for their arrest has been issued that also sought to have their bonds restored to $1 million.

A coalition of bikers rented out a patio of Twin Peaks, known for scantily clad waitresses serving mugs of beer, for a Sunday meeting that turned sour when a rival gang showed up, police said.

A dispute over a parking space or a gang member's foot being run over may have sparked the brawl that ended with a gunfight between bikers and nearly two dozen police who had taken positions outside the restaurant in anticipation of violence.

The names of the dead have not been released and many of those being held are not cooperating with investigators.

"Some of the players in this are not being honest," Swanton said.

Among the gangs involved in the shooting were the Bandidos, which the US Justice Department says has between 2,000 to 2,500 members in the United States and 13 other countries. It is one of the biggest motorcycle gangs and a rival to the better-known Hells Angels.

Police officers are seen as investigations continue in the parking lot of the Twin Peaks Sports Bar and Grill in Waco, Texas May 18, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS

The Bandidos have been battling with a rival gang, the Cossacks, for control in the state, which has been seen as Bandidos territory, an expert on outlaw motorcycle gangs said.

"The Bandidos... think they own Texas," said police officer Steve Cook, who heads the Midwest Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigators Association.

"They say 'This is our territory and this is it' and that's the way they leave it," he said.