Waco Shootout: New Evidence Shows Police Shot Bikers In Chaotic Brawl

Authorities have released 8,800 pages of evidence on the shocking biker shootout in Waco, Texas, revealing that police did shoot some of the suspects with rifles during the chaotic scene. Other details show how brazen and well-armed the two groups were before the deadly encounter that left nine dead and several others injured.

According to ABC News, the AP went through the police’s 724-page incident report and the other 8,800 pages of evidence about the May 17 shootout in Waco, Texas.

One fact is that police bullets did hit some of the bikers, but it’s still unclear if those shots actually caused any of the nine deaths.

Police dash-cam footage showed one officer yelling, “I’m going to shoot your a**. Stay on the ground.”

Another officer shouted, “They are shooting from the ground.”

In June, Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman confirmed that three officers fired a total of twelves shots in the skirmish according to Time Magazine.

The story behind the shootout is also still unclear.

According to many witnesses, the brawl began when a rider in the Bandidos gang ran over the foot of a perspective member of the Cossacks gang with his motorcycle. Other testimony says the fight had something to do with the Cossacks wearing a Texas patch on their vests. Still, others said they didn’t see anything.

The shootout began as a fistfight outside the Twins Peak restaurant but quickly escalated to several minutes of gunfire according to the Times-Picayune.

Police recovered over 430 weapons from the crime scene, including 151 guns. The officers found the weapons hidden in multiple places, including two handguns that were found in the restaurant’s toilets. Once the gang members were finally subdued, authorities asked anyone who had a weapon to raise their hand — almost everyone did.

Prosecutors decided to arrest everyone who had the patch, insignia, or any other marker of either group under organized crime charges. Authorities arrested 177 people and held them for days on $1 million bails, but still no one has been indicted.

The evidence will be presented to a grand jury. In addition to police reports, it will include video footage of people fleeing the gunfire and pictures of bodies lying in pools of blood.

Prior to the shootout, the gangs were in Waco to attend a meeting for advocating biker safety.

It’s still not clear when the grand jury will start hearing cases on the Waco shootout.

[Image Credit: Erich Schlegel/Getty Images]