Media Blames Hells Angels for Shooters

New York City, New York, USA (February 13, 2020) BTN — After four decades, the infamous Hells Angels packed up their Manhattan clubhouse and relocated to the Bronx. Their presence quickly became known to residents after bullets flew into their clubhouse.

Hells Angels new clubhouse 

The Jan. 2 incident raised questions about the Hells Angels' intentions on the Throgs Neck block. Windows are now boarded up at the clubhouse, and police are keeping a close eye.

"It was a little concerning. But you can't really blame them. I mean it's like blaming a victim for getting shot at. Do you blame the shooter or do you blame the victim? So, now they are getting the bad rep for something that happened to them," said a resident.

Related | New Hells Angels Clubhouse Upsets Nosy Neighbors 

Related | Former Hells Angels MC Clubhouse Sold

Allegations of criminal activity mark the group, but they are also known for charity with their annual toy drive during the holiday season.

News 12's investigation discovered that their clubhouse at 241 Longstreet Ave. is not the only property the club has bought after selling their longtime East Village NYC chapter headquartered in Manhattan for more than $7.7 million.



Documents obtained by News 12 reveal that the Church of the Angels Inc., which is under Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, has purchased four properties in the Bronx.

Three of those purchased properties are in Throgs Neck and were acquired in October 2019. Listed on the deed documents is the Law Offices of Edmond Pryor. He would not directly tell News 2 that he worked with the Church of the Angels Inc.

"I have no pending matters for them," said Pryor. Pryor was also a part-time employee of Bronx Councilman Mark Gjonaj, which made some residents question the councilman's involvement with the club.

The office denied any connection to News 12, saying in a statement, "This was a private transaction that had no reporting requirement to any elected official or the local community board."

Some in the neighborhood are waiting until it gets warmer to see if Hells Angels and their slew of bikes will mess or mesh with the fabric of their community.

News 12 has reached out to the Hell Angels and Community Board 10 and has not heard back.

SOURCE: News 12

Hells Angels not wanted at resort

Pointe-Calumet, Quebec (February 7, 2020) BTN - The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club have chosen Beachclub as a place to show their colours and there’s little the club’s ownership can do about it, Quebec’s liquor board heard on Thursday.

“They choose where they wear their vests (and patches),” Sûreté du Québec investigator Alain Belleau testified during hearings before the board.

“And they won’t tolerate anyone standing up to them,” Belleau added. “So there’s a risk there: It becomes difficult for security to intervene because they don’t want to confront them.”

The popular Montreal-area outdoor club is before Quebec’s Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux this week after the local police department flagged several safety concerns.

Among them was that police documented members of organized crime — including the Hells Angels — at the Pointe-Calumet club a dozen times between 2016 and 2018.

The club has a policy barring members from wearing their vests and patches on the premises, but the policy is rarely, if ever, enforced. Belleau testified Thursday that owner Dominique Primeau has told authorities he feels he has no choice but to “tolerate” them.

But Belleau also noted the problem isn’t unique to Beachclub.

Though many bars and clubs in Quebec have similar policies in place, he said it’s almost impossible to enforce: any owner who stands up to the biker gang is opening themselves up to retaliation, he said, including firebombings or physical intimidation.


He said owners looking to enforce the rule could, in theory, call the police for help. But he has never heard of that happening. “We know owners are sometimes stuck in these situations,” Belleau said. “We know how difficult it can be for them.”

Belleau said police have witnessed Hells Angels members from Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia at the club. They’ve been seen wearing their patches inside the club and outside in the parking lot.

Though police have repeatedly been called there for instances of violence, Belleau said to his knowledge none of those cases were linked to the Hells Angels.

When one of the administrative judges hearing the case asked him whether an average Quebecer would recognize that someone was wearing a Hells Angels patch inside the club, Belleau answered without hesitation.

“In Quebec, with their history, with the biker war, the media coverage, the SharQc trial, everyone knows the Hells Angels logo,” he said.

SOURCE: Montreal Gazette 

Grim Reapers MC involved in federal indictment

Evansville, Indiana, USA (February 6, 2020) BTN - Seventeen people have been federally indicted for allegedly operating a drug ring in Indiana and Kentucky with ties to the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club.

Grim Reapers Clubhouse after police raid

The following have been charged as part of Operation Reapin Benefits:

• James Benton, 66, of Evansville
• Brian Eden, 40, of Evansville
• Gary Wayne Forston, 39, of Evansville
• Clarence Grubbs, 48, of Evansville
• Central Holman IV, 28, of Owensboro, Kentucky
• Demoreal Killebrew, 21, of Owensboro
• Adam Lafferty, 38, of Evansville
• Shane Lewis, 32, of Evansville
• April Martin, 45, of Evansville
• Matthew Meredith, 40, of Evansville
• Prince Moss, 34, of Owensboro
• Paul Overby, 45, of Evansville
• Derek Sander, 48, of Evansville
• Daniel Wiscaver, 61, of Winslow
• Jason Wilson, 42, of Evansville
• Jesse Wilson, 34, of Evansville
• Kimberly Wilson, 37, of Evansville

Some of the accused are members or associates of the Grim Reapers, which U.S. Attorney Josh Minkler called a criminal organization during a news conference Thursday morning in Evansville announcing the indictments.

Federal prosecutors believe Forston and Jason Wilson were the ringleaders of the group, which allegedly distributed methamphetamine in Evansville and nearby communities.

Forston, the Grim Reapers president, was previously indicted on weapons charges after a raid on the club in November. Holman was the ring's alleged supplier.

Almost all of the other defendants are believed to be mid-level distributors, accused of selling drugs to lower-level drug dealers or directly to users, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Related | Prez of Grim Reapers MC trial starts
Related | Feds Raid Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club

"Drugs, guns and money have been taken off our streets," Minkler said. "Armed drug dealers seeking to infest our cities and our towns with drugs have been taken off our streets."

Ten pounds of meth, 23 guns and $35,000 in cash were seized, Minkler said. The drugs, which now sit in evidence vaults, have an estimated street value of more than $250,000.

Fifteen of the accused are now in federal custody. Siblings Jesse and Kimberly Wilson are believed to be on the run. The indictments are the culmination of a sixth-month, multi-agency investigation, which included federal, state and local law enforcement.

Vanderburgh County Sheriff Dave Wedding used the news conference as an opportunity to call for expanding the county's jail.

"I will tell you something that makes me sick to the stomach is we have legislators on the state and federal level saying that we have a problem of over-incarceration, that we need to let people out of jail," he said.

"I am pleading for a larger jail to be built here in Vanderburgh County so the dirtbags that we take off the street will have a bed to sleep in at night," he added.

Prosecutors said all defendants except Sander could face between 10 years to life in prison if convicted. Sander could be sentenced to up to 10 years.

The U.S. Attorney's Office will also consider pursuing forfeiture of the Grim Reapers' headquarters in the 1100 block of East Diamond Avenue in Evansville. "What we don't want is the Grim Reapers to come back and relocate in that clubhouse and start doing business again," Minkler said.

SOURCE: Evansville Courier Press

Prez of Grim Reapers MC trial starts

Evansville, Indiana, USA (January 27, 2020) BTN - The trial of Gary Forston starts in US Federal Court today. Forston was indicted on federal gun charges.

Back in November of 2019, Federal and local law enforcement agents served a search warrant at the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club. Agents used heavy equipment to breakdown the building's door.

The warrant was served by the ATF's Special Response Team, which is often deployed for search warrants or high-risk situations, said an agency spokeswoman at the scene.

Related | Feds Raid Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club

An alphabet soup of agencies assisted the ATF in the raid, which took place around 6 a.m. at the club at 1104 E. Diamond Ave., including the FBI and DEA.

Investigators say two grams of meth were also found during the search in Forston’s vehicle.

That trial is set for today at 9:00 am.

Case in limbo for Bandidos member licensed to carry gun

Milam County, Texas, USA (January 21, 2020) BTN — Milam County went forward with prosecuting Patrick Lewis Vaden, a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club in December, but Judge Steve Young ruled the case a mistrial after only two days. More than a month later, defense attorney Kurt Glass still doesn't know when or if his client will need to return to court.

Vaden was pulled over in Nov. 2018 for driving 67 mph in a 60 mph zone. He had a license to carry and had a gun when he was stopped.

The Milam County district attorney claimed Vaden is part of a criminal gang and is prosecuting him for unlawfully carrying a weapon. Glass claimed the valid LTC Vaden held is a defense against that charge.

Related | Bandidos member prosecuted for gun with license to carry

Before the trial, Glass said the prosecution filed a motion that Vaden’s License to carry could not be used as evidence in the trial. Glass said he didn’t bring the fact up to the jury, but protested the decision to County Judge Steve Young. Glass said Young eventually told him to get the opinion of a higher court.

“If I’m not able to bring up that he has a defense to the crime, that’s a violation of the 4th amendment,” Glass said. “He told us that we needed to appeal the question of whether or not Patrick Vaden having a license to carry should be admitted into this case.”

The only problem, Glass can't go to an appeals court until the case has a verdict, and the case does not.


Judge Steve Young declared a mistrial on the second day of the trial. Glass said he doesn't know if Judge Young still expects him to contact the higher court. In a criminal case, he can’t legally do that. 6 News Legal expert Liz Mitchell agreed.

"An appellate court isn't going to hear a case until there is a final judgment in the lower court," Mitchell said. "Guilty or not guilty. There has to be an outcome of this case because it is still pending at this time.

Glass also disagreed with the Judge's decision to rule the case a mistrial. "Once you've selected your six people, they are put down in the juror's box The defendant has the right to hear the case to its conclusion," Glass said.

After a mistrial, it is up to Milam County to set a new trial date or dismiss the case. Glass said they should do the latter. “He granted a mistrial. That triggers certain decisions that need to be made. I think that ended the case,” Glass said.

Mitchell told 6 News that judges typically will not want cases to linger after a mistrial, even though it is possible for them to linger for months.

"If it was a mistrial, the judge wants to move the docket," Mitchell said. "It doesn't look good for judges in re-election if they have cases that have been pending forever. Especially cases that resulted in a mistrial."

SOURCE: KCEN TV

Cops stalking Hells Angels MC fundraiser

Providence, Rhode Island, USA (January 11, 2020) BTN — Providence and state police are monitoring what is expected to be a large gathering of bikers at the Messer Street headquarters of the Hells Angels on Saturday.

The party, advertised on social media, is billed as a way to raise money for the defense fund of Joseph Lancia, who was arrested after he allegedly fired a gun at a passing truck on June 12.

Lancia has been identified by law enforcement as the president of the Rhode Island chapter of the Hells Angels.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault with the intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, discharging a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a permit.

Promoted as the “Keep Joe Free Support Party,” the flier asked for a $20 donation for “music, food, raffles, auctions.”

Law enforcement sources say they are aware of the party and will be monitoring it throughout the day and evening. The Hells Angels have been embroiled in an ongoing feud with rival club The Outlaws, which has a clubhouse in Woonsocket.

Target 12 rolled by the Hells Angels headquarters Saturday around 2:00 p.m. and witnessed a large gathering of bikers. Sources say the party is expected to draw members and affiliate clubs from out of state.


Police say Lancia shot at the truck because it was being driven by a former pledge for the club with whom he was having an ongoing disagreement.

The incident led to a remarkable raid of the clubhouse by the state police, which used a special vehicle to ram through the fortified front door to gain entry.

Two other people were charged in the incident: Lance R. Imor, 54, of West Warwick, was charged with possession of a schedule II controlled substance (methamphetamine), compounding and concealing a felony, and misprision (concealment) of a felony. State Police Major Timothy Sanzi said Imor is a full-patch member of the Hells Angels.

SOURCE: WPRI 12

Man loses appeal over Hells Angels support gear

Edmonton, Canada (January 5, 2020) BTN — A self-described “old hippie” arrested at West Edmonton Mall after being asked to remove a Hells Angels support shirt says he is disappointed after losing an appeal to the Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board in the case.

Paul Sussman was taken to the ground by mall security on a Sunday afternoon in 2016. The 74-year-old, who was with his teenaged son, said security guards overreacted when he refused to take off his Hells Angels support hoodie.

Paul Sussman holding the Hells Angels support hoodie that in 2016 got him in hot water with West Edmonton Mall security. 

Sussman also claims city police ignored his requests to file an assault complaint against the guards. He eventually filed a complaint against three Edmonton Police Service officers, which was dismissed Dec. 10.

The story begins Aug. 28, 2016, when Sussman was visiting the mall with his then 15-year-old son. Sussman wore a dark coloured hoodie. On the back in red lettering were the words “Support Your Local Big Red Machine,” emblazoned above a skull and crossbones.

Sussman and his son were eventually approached by two security guards, who asked him to remove the shirt or leave the property, citing the mall’s prohibition on gang paraphernalia.

Sussman refused. In an interview, he said he supports the motorcycle club for protecting him from an assailant in the 1960s. He picked up the shirt at the Hells Angels’ club house in Westridge, where he attends social functions at least a few times a year.

Related | Man arrested over Hells Angels T-shirt wins hearing

Additional security guards eventually arrived as Sussman exited a pet store. He locked arms with his son, but the guards managed to take him to the ground and handcuff him. Sussman was taken to the mall security office, where he spent several hours in a holding cell. His son was escorted off the property.

Police eventually arrived to deal with the mall’s trespassing complaint against Sussman. Sussman claims he told the police officers he wished to make an assault complaint against the security guards, but that they refused to provide him with a complaint form or investigate his allegations.

Sussman was released later that day without charges.

Sussman claims the mall had no publicly posted dress code in 2016, and that the guards acted arbitrarily (WEM’s dress code, posted on its website, prohibits gang-affiliated clothing).

“They (can) simply tell you to take your clothes off whenever they feel like it, I guess, and assault you if you refuse,” he said in an interview this week. “And the police don’t care.”

The day after the incident, Sussman and his son went to the west division police station and asked for a complaint form. Sussman, who was wearing the same shirt, said the officer at the counter refused to assist him and instead gave him the number for an EPS complaint line. According to Sussman, the complaint line dispatcher told him to contact the officers who attended the scene.

Sussman and his son filed a formal complaint with EPS one year later, alleging the three officers made no effort to investigate his allegations. In the complaint, he alleged the officers did not take him seriously, either because he was wearing a gang support hoodie or because the officers wanted to protect West Edmonton Mall security.

Chief Dale McFee dismissed the complaints in March 2018, saying there was insufficient evidence of misconduct on the part of the officers.

SOURCE: Edmonton Journal

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Bandidos member prosecuted for gun with license to carry

Milam County, Texas, USA (December 19, 2019) BTN — Milam County went forward with prosecuting Patrick Lewis Vaden, a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club, on Monday. This was after Vaden was accused of unlawfully carrying a weapon based on his affiliation with the Bandidos.

Vaden was pulled over in Nov. 2018 for going 67 mph in a 60 mph zone. He had a license to carry and had a gun when he was stopped.

More than 24 hours after jury selection, on Tuesday, the case abruptly ended in a mistrial and an appeal. Defense Attorney Kurt Glass told 6 News that Judge Steve Young ruled a mistrial after Glass refused to exclude a critical fact in the trial.

"What we have to appeal is whether or not Mr. Vaden and his license to carry are able to be mentioned in front of the jury," Glass said.

Glass said the prosecution filed a motion last week requesting that Vaden's license to carry, which was valid at the time of the arrest, was not to be admitted into evidence. He said Young agreed with prosecutors on Monday, but he had to risk bringing the LTC up in court regardless in order to lay the groundwork for a possible appeal after the case. He hopes it won't come to that.

"Depends upon what the court of appeals does," Glass said. "The court of appeals has the option to send the case back down with no decision, or they can tell the judge, 'Hey, you have to follow the law and allow Mr. Vaden to tell the jury he was allowed to carry a weapon.'"

Court documents state that Vaden was stopped by Department of Public Safety Trooper Michael Tice in Nov. 2018. According to a court transcript, Tice said he checked Vaden's driver's license and then confirmed Vaden was a gang member in the Texas Gang Intelligence Index. DPS later told 6 News the TxGANG database records are not to be used to independently confirm gang affiliation.

"If law enforcement performs a wanted persons check and the person being searched has been entered in TXGANG, the return will indicate that the person is a possible gang member. There is no message that states the person is “registered and confirmed as a gang member,” The Texas Department of Public Safety said in an emailed response.

Tice arrested Vaden for unlawfully carrying a weapon based on the TXGANG record and the colors Vaden was wearing, according to a court transcript.

Glass showed 6 News reporter Andrew Moore on Tuesday where in the law a license to carry should protect someone in Vaden's position.

Texas Penal Code Section 46.02(a-1)(2)(C) states a person cannot carry a handgun if they are a member of a criminal street gang, as defined by Section 71.01. The Bandidos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang has been labeled a criminal gang by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

However, Section 46.15(b)(6)(A)(B) says the previous section mentioned (Section 46.02) does not apply to a person who is carrying an LTC issued under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, provided they are carrying correctly. Glass said Vaden was carrying the gun correctly.


Young, in this case, wrote that a license to carry should not apply here and Vaden should not ride with a gun. After speaking with 6 News legal expert Liz Mitchell, she said it is not unusual for a judge to subjectively interpret laws in this situation.

"Sometimes in the penal code we do have certain statutes that may both be applicable at the same time and may even be at odds. The penal code is not going to set out specific fact patterns. That's when we get into precedent set by case law." Mitchell said. "That's where a judge might come into play -- based on his or her representation of legislative intent."

Mitchell said judges can and do make subjective decisions by interrupting law and decide what evidence should be valid in a specific jury trial, so Young is not doing anything unusual when it comes to evidence either.

SOURCE: KCENTV

Feds Raid Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club

Evansville, Indiana, USA (November 19, 2019) BTN - Federal and local law enforcement agents served a search warrant at the Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club this morning. Agents used heavy equipment to breakdown the building's door.

The warrant was served by the ATF's Special Response Team, which is often deployed for search warrants or high-risk situations, said an agency spokeswoman at the scene. An alphabet soup of agencies assisted the ATF in the raid, which took place around 6 a.m. at the club at 1104 E. Diamond Ave., including the FBI and DEA.

Other law enforcement assisting at the scene included Indiana State Police, Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office and Evansville Police Department. Suzanne Dabkowski, an ATF public information officer at the scene, would not say whether there were any arrests or if the building was occupied when officers arrived. Two motorcycles were taken from the scene.

She did say that the investigation that led to the search warrant had been going on for "quite awhile." The Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club was founded in Louisville in 1965 and a local chapter was organized in Warrick County in the mid-1970s.

In June 1983, the local chapter moved its club to a house on Indiana Street near First Avenue, where it stayed until September 2017. The motorcycle club's current hangout on Diamond Avenue is the former location of the Exotic She Lounge strip club.


This is not the first time the motorcycle club has been targeted by federal investigators.

The Evansville club was raided several times in the late 1990s, culminating in the 1999 indictment of three members on federal criminal charges. The Evansville members were indicted on charges of racketeering, conspiracy and transporting stolen vehicles. Those indictments came just days after agents raided Grim Reapers clubhouses in five states, including the Evansville club.

The three-year undercover operation resulted in a total of 59 indictments and the seizure of guns, drugs, stolen vehicles and other contraband, according to an Evansville Courier report.

SOURCE:

Hells Angels clubhouse raided for selling booze

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (September 19, 2019) BTN — Winnipeg police raided two Manitoba Hells Angels clubhouses and charged three people with selling liquor without a licence under the Liquor, Gaming and Cannabis Control Act.

The search warrants were executed in December 2018 after police said they received information from three people that the Hells Angels were selling liquor without a licence inside two clubhouses in rural Manitoba houses. One is in the rural municipality of Rosser, the other on Redonda Street in the rural municipality of Springfield.

Winnipeg police executed search warrants at two Hells Angels clubhouses in Manitoba in December 2018, including this property on Road 65 N. in the rural municipality of Rosser.

Police affidavits say the informants told investigators there is a set price for booze at the clubhouse bars and the Angels believed that law enforcement couldn't investigate them if they put up signs that said "Donations."

The details were sealed by a provincial court judge in December but the documents were recently unsealed, although some information was redacted to protect the identities of confidential informants.

"Each clubhouse advertises that any alcoholic drink or non-alcoholic drink is not for sale but individuals can 'donate' the $3 or $5 to the Hells Angels," the police affidavit says.

Police were told the Hells Angels have a book behind the bar with a running tab for people who owe money for drinks, and the motorcycle club put the money in a bank account along with proceeds of their clothing sales — an account with more than $60,000 in it, the affidavit says.

To verify some of the source information they received, police said they relied on a number of things, including statements they got from officers in the organized crime unit who had observed the bar while arresting a suspect in the Redonda Street home in 2017.

Police said they also saw photos of a fully stocked clubhouse bar and fridge on the Facebook page of a prospective member of the Hells Angels and in the background of photos of a woman wearing support gear on the Manitoba Nomads website, which sells Hells Angels support clothing to the public.

Winnipeg police search warrant documents say the Hells Angels were selling liquor inside two Manitoba clubhouses without a licence to do so, and the setup included a donation jar to keep law enforcement away. (Provincial Court of Manitoba)

"If they want money for a drink, they're gonna get money for a drink, whether it's put in a jar or handed to someone in a parking lot," said Peter Edwards, Toronto Star crime reporter and organized crime author.

"I think there's all sorts of criminal activity in Hells Angels, but I think that the liquor licence type stuff is, I don't know.… I just don't see it as something that's going to make the streets safe."

Last December following the raids, Winnipeg police charged three men for selling liquor without a licence: Dale Donovan, who now goes by the name Kelland and is the president of the Manitoba Nomads, which is a chapter of the Hells Angels; Lorne Corlett, a full patch member of the gang; and prospect Cameron Barron.

The crime is punishable by a fine of up to $100,000, up to a year in jail, and forfeiture of any items seized by law enforcement.

In the 43-page search warrant documents, police said they received photographs from other Canadian police agencies that had conducted similar raids that showed "donation bins" posted in other Hells Angels clubhouse bars.

"All chapters of the Hells Angels across Canada follow the same rules and structure. The Hells Angels have world rules, Canada rules and then chapter rules," the police affidavit said.

In search warrant documents, Winnipeg police say in September 2018 a Hells Angels prospect posted these photos on his Facebook page. Officers said the photos were taken in a Hells Angels clubhouse and show a fully stocked bar, which supports allegations they were selling liquor without a licence. (Provincial Court of Manitoba)

Police said raids were done in Kelowna, B.C., Sudbury, Ont., St. Catharines, Ont., Ottawa and Toronto. CBC News also found video on YouTube showing police in Australia have done the same.

"It's an incredibly sophisticated organization with significant financial backing, so it makes it very difficult for police to take action against them," said Kelly Sundberg, an associate professor in the department of economics, justice and policy studies at Mount Royal University in Calgary.

"The police are limited by geography and by budgets. The Hells Angels are not."

Sundberg said regulatory approaches are one of the only tools police have to combat criminal organizations like the Hells Angels.

Winnipeg police search warrant documents say police in Ottawa raided a Hells Angels clubhouse in December 2017 and photos showed it had a similar setup to other Hells Angels clubhouses in other parts of the country. (Provincial Court of Manitoba)

"With the hopes that by taking that regulatory action against the organization that they'll discover a criminal act that will open the door for a criminal investigation that allows them to proceed on larger charges," Sundberg said.

Edwards, who has written 10 books on organized crime, understands why police would crack down on the Hells Angels in any way that they can, but he believes investigations like this will do nothing more than garner sympathy for them.

"They're not gonna keep piles of cocaine laying on the table in their clubhouse," Edwards said.

"What they're trying to do is crack down on criminal activity, drug trafficking, and this sort of thing is kind of, it's sort of a nuisance thing but its not going to put anyone out of business."

The Hells Angels have a long record of violence in Canada, including the murder of two justice officials in Quebec in 1997. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Quebec branch of the Hells Angels was warring with a rival outlaw motorcycle gang, the Rock Machine. That resulted in an estimated 150 murders over the course of a decade, and extensive drug trafficking and related crimes in Manitoba, the RCMP and Manitoba Justice say.

In 2014, Manitoba became the first government in North America to formally list the Hells Angels as a criminal organization. Similar designations have been made in Ontario and British Columbia.

But Sundberg said over the years, the Hells Angels have worked hard to change their public image by holding fundraisers for charity and organizing community events.

"I would not be surprised if the Hells Angels secure some of the best marketing and communications people money can buy. They've done an excellent job … in steering that lens of criminality away from them and even put it into the minds of the public that they are in fact a legitimate organization."

He said the narrative the Hells Angels present today is that the negative press has been manufactured by law enforcement and that they've been unfairly targeted.

"The Hells Angels are incredibly sophisticated. They have some of the best lawyers and accountants. The resources available to them, they're global in scope," Sundberg said.

SOURCE: CBC

Hours long standoff at clubhouse ends with arrests

Fresno, California, USA (September 9, 2019) BTN — Eight people were arrested on Saturday after an hours-long standoff at a MC's clubhouse came to an end, according to the Fresno County Sheriff's Office.

It all started at around 6 p.m. on Saturday, when anti-gang enforcement deputies were investigating weapon offenses and possible gang members at the Savage Assassins motorcycle clubhouse near Belmont and First.

Deputies say they spotted a man standing outside of the clubhouse with a gun on him.

The man ran back into the clubhouse and deputies followed him in, but left after a verbal confrontation took place inside.

Since the man had a gun, S.W.AT. was called out to the scene, leading to an hours-long standoff.

After receiving a search warrant, deputies started ordering people out of the clubhouse, one by one.

One man came out with a gun and was arrested by police without incident.

Eight people were arrested and 42 others were detained while deputies began to search the clubhouse.

One woman with a heart condition was taken from the scene to Community Regional Medical Center, police say she was not injured during the standoff.

9-08 SWAT Standoff at Motorcycle Club
Fresno County's Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium says one of its deputies was after ONE guy, who ran into the Savage Assassins Motorcycle Club. Him fleeing led to 42 people being detained and 8 arrested Saturday.
Posted by Marie Edinger KMPH on Sunday, September 8, 2019

The man who was seen outside of the clubhouse with a gun was arrested for being a felon with a firearm.

Once everyone was out, officers began to search the clubhouse.

The search continued until around 3 a.m. on Sunday.

SOURCE: Fox26 News

Cops harass and give tickets to Bandidos MC

Rapid City, South Dakota, USA (August 31, 2019) BTN — Rapid City Police have issued 40 citations and made one arrest after law enforcement came in contact with members of the Bandidos motorcycle club Thursday.

The RCPD says they continued to come into contact with other members of the Bandidos and are concerned for public safety. "We have a plan in place to keep them and the residents of Rapid City safe during the run," Medina said.

He said 16 motorcycles were pulled over for traffic violations as the group exited I-90 near Omaha. 30 citations have been issued for traffic violations, eight citations for possession of a firearm on a motorcycle, and two citations for possession of marijuana. Eight firearms were seized in the process.

22-year-old Antonio Silva of Los Luna, NM was arrested during a traffic stop and charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, carrying a firearm on a motorcycle commission of a felony with a firearm, and following too closely. According to jail records, Silva appeared in court Friday morning.

According to the police, a large gathering of the Bandidos motorcycle club members is going on in the Black Hills.

SOURCE: Rapid City Journal

Mongols MC headquarters subject to searches

Santa Ana, California, USA (June 29, 2019) BTN — A federal judge on Friday, June 28, made clear that his decision to place the Mongols motorcycle club on probation means the headquarters for the organizations mother chapter is fair game for random search by probation officers, not individual bikers themselves.

U.S. District Judge David O. Carter in May ordered the Mongols organization to pay a $500,000 fine, and to serve five years on supervised probation, after a Santa Ana jury found that the Southern California-based club itself — rather than specific members — was guilty of racketeering.

The first-of-its-kind legal battle was part of a decade-plus effort by federal law enforcement to seize control of the Mongols patches, which depict an illustration of a smiling, ponytailed, Ghengis Khan-type motorcycle rider. The Santa Ana jury agreed that the government should be able to take control of the patches and trademark, but Judge Carter overrode that portion of the verdict, ruling it would be unconstitutional.

Since Carter’s decision, law enforcement agencies from across the country have reached out to federal probation officials to ask what the terms of the Mongols organizations probation means for their efforts to police individual riders, prosecutors told the judge.

Related | Mongols Motorcycle Club wins court case
Related | Mongols MC lose federal case against patch 
Related | Jury ready to decide Mongols MC fate over patch

Related | Mongols MC found guilty of racketeering

Related | Feds betting Mongols MC will not survive 

Related | A Motorcycle Club can’t conspire with itself

Related | Mongols MC trademark trial wrapping up 

Related | Jesse Ventura defends Mongols MC in federal court

Related | Feds attempt to seize Mongols MC trademarked logo

Related | Mongols MC: Feds going after clubs colors at racketeering trial

“I have no problem searching the mother chapter, that is where you found the guns,” Carter told prosecutors. “But this isn’t a wholesale warrant without probable cause to search anyone on the street.”

But before the government can search the Mongols’ headquarters, they are going to have to come back to the court and tell the judge where it actually is. Court filings have referred to a location in West Covina, but prosecutors on Friday noted that is a reference to the former home of Ruben “Doc” Cavazos, a former president of the Mongols who was kicked out of the club.

Prosecutors didn’t immediately provide the judge with a new address for the club’s current headquarters, just telling him it is not in West Covina. The Mongols was originally formed in Montebello in the 1970s.

The legal battle over the Mongols patch is almost certain to make its way before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and likely the U.S. Supreme Court. Carter is allowing the club to pay their $500,000 fine in monthly installments, so that they can still afford to fund the expected appeals.


The case stemmed from Operation Black Rain, an undercover investigation in which law enforcement agents infiltrated the Mongols. A separate, earlier court case against specific Mongols members led to 77 people pleading guilty to racketeering-related charges.

In the most recent trial, the Mongols as an organization were found to have taken part in drug trafficking, vicious assaults and even murder. Much of the violence was tied to a long-running rivalry between the Mongols and the Hells Angels motorcycle club, and led to attacks, some fatal, in bars and restaurants in Pasadena, Hollywood, Merced, La Mirada, Wilmington and Riverside.

Attorneys representing the current leadership of the Mongols have blamed the violence on Cavazos and his crew, who they note are no longer involved in the organization.

SOURCE: The Orange County Register 

Hells Angels attend funeral surrounded by cops

Montreal, Canada (June 22, 2019) BTN — Hundreds of Hells Angels from across Canada showed at an Urgel Bourgie funeral home on Beaubien St. E. in Mercier—Hochelaga—Maisonneuve to mourn the loss of André (Frisé) Sauvageau. Hundreds of local and provincial police officers were also on the scene, while a helicopter flew overhead.

André (Frisé) Sauvageau defected from the Rock Machine in 2000 and remained a member of the Hells Angels in Montreal until his death last month.While he was involved in a war between the Hells Angels and Rock Machine, André (Frisé) Sauvageau received a phone call he probably hadn’t thought possible.

It was Dec. 19, 2000, and Sauvageau, a founding member of the Rock Machine, had spent the previous six years looking over his shoulder as the two groups fought over turf in Montreal. Police never identified the person on the other end of the line, but the call came from a cellphone owned by Richard (Dick) Mayrand, who was at the time one of the most powerful Hells Angels in Quebec.

During the call, Sauvageau was told that, as far as the Hells Angels were concerned, “the door (was) always open” to him. He defected to the Hells Angels soon after and remained a member of the club till his death May 26.

Under a cloudy sky Thursday morning, hundreds of Hells Angels from across Canada showed up in force at an Urgel Bourgie funeral home on Beaubien St. E. in Mercier—Hochelaga—Maisonneuve to mourn the loss of Sauvageau.

Club members arrived in groups, many of them on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, between 10:30 a.m. and noon. By the time the funeral was slated to begin, there were about 100 motorcycles in the parking lot, and an equal number of cars, pickup trucks, SUVs and minivans.

Most of those going into the funeral home were wearing leather jackets that had Hells Angels patches or names of other supporting clubs, like the Red Devils and the Reapers with names of cities and regions: Halifax, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Regina, Richelieu Outaouais, Laurentides and Lanaudière. The majority were from Montreal.

All were men and white, and most were middle-aged with long beards. About a dozen milled around at the building’s rear door, while several stood at the front door, apparently acting as security agents.

“You’re not getting in here; don’t make me have to tell you again,” one of them told a reporter.

Hundreds of Montreal Police and Sûreté du Québec police officers were also on the scene, arriving on motorcycles, vans and unmarked cars. A helicopter flew overhead. A mobile command post was set up a block away, and three officers were posted at the entrance of the parking lot, with one officer taking photographs of the licence plates of the cars that entered and another writing them down.

About 10 other agents were posted in several spots in the parking lot and around the funeral home.

The sight of so many Hells Angels paying tribute to Sauvageau would have been inconceivable during the 1990s while the Rock Machine clashed with their rivals. As a founding member of the Rock Machine, Sauvageau was a high-priority target for the Hells Angels during Quebec’s biker war, a conflict than began in 1994 and resulted in the deaths of more than 160 people before it came to an end in 2002.

On Oct. 18, 1997, Sauvageau and two other men were almost killed when someone tried to shoot them while they were standing outside a duplex on Pierre Blanchet Ave. in Rivière-des-Prairies. No one was injured in the attempted hit, but the police believed the Hells Angels were behind it because the shots were fired from a passing minivan, the type of vehicle Hells Angels were using for hits at the time.

Sauvageau was also involved in the violence of the biker war. On May 8, 1997, just months before someone tried to kill him, a powerful bomb was set off in front of a club the Hells Angels controlled on St-Laurent Blvd. No one was killed in the early-morning blast, but Peter Paradis, a Rock Machine member who became a prosecution witness during the biker war, later testified in at least two trials that he set off the bomb on orders from Sauvageau.


Weeks before the call to Saveaugeau was made in 2000, the Hells Angels had offered their rivals a brief truce and then sought to recruit members of the Rock Machine they considered worthy of becoming Hells Angels.

The truce was agreed to in 2000 because, at the time, Rock Machine members had just become probationary members of the Bandidos, another international motorcycle club. The Hells Angels in Quebec hoped to prevent the Bandidos from breaking ground in Canada and saw the truce as an opportunity to steal away as many experienced drug traffickers from the probationary Bandidos as they could.

SOURCE: Montreal Gazette 

Hells Angels Prez arrested for assault

Providence, RI, USA (June 13, 2019) BTN — The scene on a West End street Wednesday evening looked dangerous: state police SUVs blocked Messer Street in front of the Hells Angels Clubhouse around 5:30 p.m., and more were arriving.

The raid took place in a densely populated area, an odd pairing of the benignly curious and the menacingly armed. Onlookers and residents trying to get home were told to stay behind the SUVs. State police wore bulletproof vests.

A line of troopers in full protective gear, some with breathing apparatus over their faces, filed from Ford Street toward the motorcycle club’s three-story building, followed by a Humvee-type vehicle, which pulled up breach across Messer Street, facing the club. A white van stopped and troopers poured out. [emphasis added]

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The Humvee, its battering ram pointed straight at the clubhouse’s red steel door, plowed ahead. The door crumpled. The crowd exclaimed “woo!”

Using a bullhorn, one officer called out for anyone inside 161 Messer St. to come out with their hands up. This was repeated four or five times before a man came out, his hands over his head. He was immediately tackled, his hands cuffed behind him, and kept on the ground.

A woman came out with her hands up. She was also handcuffed. Several dogs ran out, one with an immediate need for the curb. One of the dogs licked the face of the man on the ground. An onlooker yelled to police not to hurt the dogs.


As the man was escorted past some senior state police officers, he paused to answer a question by saying he didn’t know. The woman who had come out of the clubhouse, wearing shorts and a black-and-red jersey with a big 81, seemed relaxed as she waited with several officers on a Ford Street sidewalk. She was taken to a cruiser after nearly everyone had left.

Before police entered the clubhouse, the battering-ram truck let out an explosive noise. Then troopers and K-9s disappeared beyond the crumpled door. Occasionally a loud boom, sounding like someone had hit a 55-gallon steel drum with a sledgehammer, issued from inside, raising questions from the crowd about whether it was gunfire.

By 6 p.m., detectives were still gathering evidence inside the clubhouse, but the street had been reopened.

A news release from the state police said they arrested the president of the Rhode Island Hells Angels chapter at the clubhouse at 1:40 p.m. Wednesday. Joseph M. Lancia, 28, of 40 Fanning Lane, Greenville, was taken into custody without incident on a charge of felony assault. The news release said his arrest was part of an investigation into reports of shots fired near the West Side clubhouse.


The events that started just before 6 p.m. were members of the Intelligence Unit and the Tactical Unit securing the clubhouse and conducting a search, state police said.

Lancia was taken to state police headquarters in Scituate, where he was processed and held overnight for arraignment Thursday at District Court, Providence, the news release said.

More charges may be filed as the investigation continues, the release said. State police spokeswoman Laura Kirk said no information would be released Wednesday about anyone else, such as the man and woman who came out of the club, saying a news conference is planned for Thursday.


Kids on bicycles, youths on bright red rental Jump bikes, and one young man on a motorized bicycle were among the onlookers, but no one showed up on a Harley.

SOURCE: Providence Journal

Over 30 arrested at Hells Angles MC event

Surrey, South East England (June 1, 2019) BTN — More than 30 people have been arrested as thousands of Hells Angels take part in a three-day event to mark the club’s 50th anniversary in the UK. Surrey and Sussex police said 34 people had been detained on suspicion of drugs offences and possession of offensive weapons in connection to the Hells Angels Euro Run.

The event, which included a private celebration at a hotel in east Surrey, commemorates the anniversary of the first branch of the California-based motorcycle club being set up in the UK. It will culminate in a mass “ride out” from Pease Pottage, near Crawley, to Brighton on Saturday, with more than 3,000 bikers expected to take part.

Earlier this week, officers were granted powers to stop and search people within a designated area across Surrey and Sussex in an attempt to tackle antisocial behaviour.

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Twelve people – five Germans, three Hungarians, one Swiss, one French, one Czech and one Greek man – have been charged. Seven appeared in court on Friday and were given suspended prison sentences, while the remaining five were due to appear in court on Saturday.

Three others remained in custody and the rest were either cautioned or released without charge.

The assistant chief constable of Surrey police, Nev Kemp, who is leading policing operations across both counties this week, said: “We have been very clear with those attending the Hells Angels event, many from overseas, that we will not tolerate criminal and antisocial behaviour.

“Our activity over the last few days has been about keeping people safe, which is why I put the section 60 order [for stop and search powers] in place.

“The fact that we have had seven people go through the courts and be sentenced so far, as well as the numerous arrests, has justified our actions and use of section 60 this week.

“This weekend, especially Saturday, sees one of the busiest for both forces in the last 12 months and we continue to work hard to keep our residents and those visiting safe.

“Officers will be out in high numbers so expect to see us on patrol responding and responding quickly to any incidents.”

SOURCE: The Sun

Gypsy Joker MC members stopped at airport

Perth, Australia (April 20, 2019) BTN — Five international motorcycle club members including three Gypsy Jokers and two associates of the club have been banned from entering the country after being stopped at Perth Airport.

The men all arrived in Perth in the past week to attend an event being held on Saturday night to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the motorcycle club.

Baggage search bench at Perth Airport

But the Australian Border Force (ABF) said they were all stopped and questioned before having their visas cancelled because "they presented a risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community, or a segment of the community".

The men included two Germans, aged 33 and 61, a 34-year-old Norwegian and two Spaniards aged 43 and 44. The ABF said the German pair, both members of the Gypsy Jokers, arrived in Perth on a flight from Hong Kong on Monday night.

The Spanish men, both club associates, also arrived on Monday on a flight from Dubai. The Norwegian member of the Gypsy Jokers arrived on a flight from Singapore on Wednesday. The ABF said the men were held at the Perth immigration detention centre before being sent home.

ABF regional commander for WA Rod O'Donnell said they were focussed on disrupting the activities of outlaw motorcycle gangs.

"These gangs pose a significant threat to our community and are known to be involved in serious criminal activity including drug trafficking and violent crime," he said. "Any non-citizen involved with a criminal organisation, including outlaw motorcycle gangs, can expect to have their Australian visa cancelled on arrival and be removed from the country."

The event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Gypsy Jokers, at the motorcycle club's Maddington clubhouse in Perth's south-eastern suburbs, is expected to be watched closely by police.

SOURCE: ABC.NEWS.AU

Governor wants new anti-gang center for Waco

Waco, Texas, USA (February 8, 2019) BTN — Hoping to build on the successes of six anti-gang centers across the state, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott is proposing to add two new crime-fighting centers, including one in Waco.

Abbott announced plans for new Texas anti-gang centers in Waco and Tyler in September and reiterated his resolve to fund the creation of the two new centers and to give additional funding for the six existing centers, during his state of the state address this week.

Aftermath of police massacre in Waco, Texas  

“The State of Texas is sending a message to criminals and gang members that any attempts to compromise the safety of our communities will not be tolerated,” Abbott said. “My top priority as governor is keeping Texans safe, and these latest proposals will help me do just that.”

The anti-gang centers involve local, state and federal law enforcement brought together under one roof to cooperate, share information and crack down on violent criminal activity, officials have said. The existing centers in Houston, San Antonio, McAllen, El Paso, Lubbock and Dallas, have achieved significant success in curbing gang activity governor’s office spokesman John Whitman said.

“The governor has said we know that these work because we have seen the results,” Whitman said. “In 2017, 1,400 criminals associated with gang-related activity were taken off the street in the Houston area. We have seen the results and we need to replicate that around the state, and the next two places we are proposing to do that are Waco and Tyler.”

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Abbott has requested $7.1 million to continue funding for existing anti-gang centers and the two proposed centers, Whitman said. The Waco City Council approved a resolution Tuesday for the city to submit a $3.5 million criminal justice grant request to the governor’s office to fund the Waco center. If awarded, there would be no matching local funds required, Whitman said.

Funding is contingent on approval from the Texas Legislature, but Whitman said the governor has widespread support from lawmakers for most of his criminal justice proposals. The grant awards will be released in September, he said.

Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said if the money is allocated for the center in Waco, there is no specific timeline to have it operational. He said it will take time to find an appropriate location, furnish and equip it and select and possibly train officers who will participate.

Waco police Sgt.W. Patrick Swanton still in denial of what really happened

“As a department, we are very proud that the governor thought enough of us to ask us to be a part of this,” Swanton said. “It also is a big deal for our community because it will make our city safer. If you look at our past history, we know that gangs are here. We had outlaw motorcycle gangs that disrupted our community several years ago. There are prison gangs. MS-13 is here. Mexican Mafia members are here. Other prison gangs, the Bloods, Crips, they are here. We kind of run the gamut from everything from large organized prison gangs to your little neighborhood wannabe gangs. The officers will deal with those and try to cut off the head of the snake.”

Swanton said Waco likely was selected because of its central location, its gang presence and the May 2015 midday shootout at the former Twin Peaks restaurant between rival biker groups, Bandidos and Cossacks, that left nine dead and 20 wounded. 

“Gang members are some of the worst criminals out there, and our history with the Bandidos and Cossacks show the level they are capable of,” Swanton said. “They could care less about the citizenry. When you have a shootout in a very open mall area in the middle of the day, they don’t care about citizens and their safety. They could care less about who is in their way or who gets hurt, and that is what we are trying to combat.”

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Besides local agencies like police departments and sheriff’s offices, anti-gang centers typically include investigators from the Texas Department of Public Safety and federal agencies, including possibly the Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Marshals Service, DPS spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger said. Anti-gang officers also work closely with state and federal prosecutors, Cesinger said.

The state’s first anti-gang center was established in Houston in 2012.

“Gangs and their associates are a significant threat to public safety, not only because of their penchant for violence and criminal activity, but also their relationships with other criminal organizations, such as Mexican cartels,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a statement. “The TAG centers utilize a proven strategy to increase safety in our communities by seamlessly coordinating local, state and federal resources in an effort to identify, disrupt and prosecute ruthless gangs operating in our communities.”

State Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson, R-Waco, said he expects support for the measure in the House and Senate. He said Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 77 provide natural corridors for drug and human traffickers, and Abbott’s proposed anti-gang center will help combat those major crime areas.

“I really appreciate the governor supporting law enforcement in our area that way,” Anderson said. “There are others around the state that have done well, and I am pleased the governor is helping to protect us in our area and I believe it most likely will come to fruition.”

SOURCE:  WacoTribune-Herald

Police keeping eye on new motorcycle club

Keremeos, B.C. (December 17, 2018) BTN — A new motorcycle club police say is affiliated with the Hells Angels has established itself around Fort Langley.

Members of the Street Reapers motorcycle club were reportedly spotted at the funeral of slain Hells Angel Chad Wilson in Maple Ridge on Saturday.

Hells Angels MC and Street Reapers MC gather for funeral 

“The Street Reapers are actually a motorcycle club that are closely associated and have close ties to the Hardside chapter of the Hells Angels,” said Sgt. Brenda Winpenny, spokesperson for the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit (CFSEU), an anti-gang policing unit.

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The Hardside Hells Angels chapter is based near Langley as well, in the Port Kells area of Surrey.

The Street Reapers appear to have come into existence in late 2017, a little more than a year ago, said Winpenny. “We have noticed them at several of the Hells Angel ride events over the summer of 2018,” she said.

There are believed to be between six to 10 members of the club; six is the minimum number for a motorcycle club of this type, Winpenny said.

The group is not believed to have an official clubhouse yet, but has been seen frequenting businesses in Fort Langley. It’s likely one or more members live in or have a business in the area, Winpenny said.

The Hells Angels are well known and have been established in many communities across B.C. for decades, including in Langley. But a new wave of smaller clubs have been cropping up in recent years, with different logos on their leather vests and jackets.

Winpenny said they are largely “support clubs” for the Hells Angels.

“They’re succession planning,” she said of the Angels.

The core of the Hells Angels membership is aging, and they need new members.

Support clubs are sources of new recruits who can be “patched over” to the Hells Angels if they measure up.

“It’s like the farm team,” said Winpenny.

The CFSEU has been keeping an eye on the Street Reapers, but so far there have been no charges laid against anyone related to the motorcycle club or its activities, she said.

“We are still intelligence gathering,” said Winpenny.

The affiliation police believe exists between the Street Reapers and other clubs should be a cause for concern for the public, said Winpenny.

The Hells Angels have been involved in drugs, weapons offenses, and violent crimes, she noted.

Hells Angels have gathered in Langley for years.

The White Rock chapter of the Hells Angels moved to Langley decades ago. In 2013, the chapter threw a 30th anniversary bash that drew a large number of bikers and guests to the gated clubhouse property on 61st Avenue east of 216th Street. Police were also there in droves, monitoring the coming and goings of the guests.

SOURCE: Keremeos Review

Man arrested over Hells Angels T-shirt wins hearing

Edmonton, Canada (October 29, 2018) BTN — A man arrested by security guards at West Edmonton Mall for refusing to remove a Hells Angels support T-shirt has won a hearing with the province’s law enforcement review board.

Paul Sussman claims Edmonton police officers who responded to his 2016 arrest did not take his complaint about the security guards’ conduct seriously, and that he was given the runaround when he later attempted to file a formal complaint.

The Alberta Law Enforcement Review Board (LERB) dismissed the police service’s attempt to have the complaint thrown out as frivolous and vexatious, and took the rare step of awarding Sussman $750 in costs before the matter goes to a full hearing.

Sussman was shopping with his teenage son at the mall on Aug. 28, 2016, when he was approached by mall security for wearing a Hells Angels “support T-shirt.”

Sussman was told to remove the shirt or leave because gang support paraphernalia is against mall policy. He was told if he did not leave he would be removed for trespassing.

Sussman refused because he believed the request was unlawful, the decision states. When security attempted to arrest him, he allegedly became “belligerent and aggressive” and resisted by linking arms with his son to avoid being handcuffed.

Security eventually took him to the ground, arrested him and took him to the mall security office. Two police officers arrived to deal with the case, though no charges were laid in the case.

The officers drove the man and his son to their car. During the ride, Sussman said he wanted to file an assault complaint against the guards but the officers “did not give him the form and did not take his complaint seriously” and told him instead to visit the west division police station.

Sussman went to the station the next day and told an officer at the front desk that he wanted to lay a complaint against mall security. According to the complaint, Sussman was wearing the same shirt and alleged the officer “refused” to help him.

“The appellant (Sussman) was of the opinion that it was because of his shirt,” the decision states. Instead, the west division officer told him to call the police complaint line. When he did, he was told to contact one of the officers who responded to the mall complaint.

Around a year later, Sussman filed formal complaints with city police, claiming the two mall officers and the west division officer failed to properly investigate his complaint. Police Chief Rod Knecht ordered investigations into the complaints but found there was no reasonable likelihood the officers would be convicted of misconduct.

The officer working at west division, however, was given a warning about “providing good customer service to citizens trying to report matters to the front counter.”

Sussman appealed the complaint to the LERB in April. Knecht and the police service sought to have it dismissed as “frivolous and vexatious” but the board disagreed.

The board also ordered each officer to pay Sussman $250, saying costs were warranted because their submissions failed to establish the complaint was made in bad faith and “attacked the appellant unnecessarily and on a personal level.”

The complaint will go to a hearing before the LERB, though no hearing dates have been set. The board hears appeals from both citizens and police officers outside of internal police complaints systems.

SOURCE: Edmonton Journal