OFF THE WIRE
http://www.clutchandchrome.com/news/news/bullets-fly-between-motorcycle-gangs Bullets fly in Arizona neighborhood between motorcycle gangs Monday, 23 August 2010 | Written by Digits | |
It could have been a scene ripped from an upcoming episode of the edgy motorcycle drama, Sons of Anarchy. Instead the deadly gang on gang violence was happening in real life in the middle of suburbia.
The violence erupted over the weekend in a residential neighborhood in Arizona’s Chino Valley. The Hells Angels and the Vagos motorcycle gangs have been identified by detectives as being involved in the shoot-out.
Some are saying the violent flare-up may have been sparked by one gang member stealing a motorcycle from the other gang. Other residents in the neighborhood say the Hells Angels were having a party when the Vagos gang rode by and were shot at. The Vagos then allegedly dropped their motorcycles and fired back.
According to witnesses, the exchange of gunfire took 15-20 minutes.
Calls to 911 brought a rush of law enforcement to the area including helicopters circling overhead as heavily armed SWAT team members descended on the rural area.
Yavapai County Sheriff's Office spokesman Dwight D'Evelyn has created a detailed picture of Sunday’s incident which saw at least fifty shots fired between the suspects, who have been taken into custody following yesterday's motorcycle gang shooting. That number has totaled twenty-seven, facing a range of charges such as Attempted Homicide, Aggravated Assault, Endangerment, Participation in a Criminal Street Gang, and Unlawful Assembly.
Interestingly, the two homes involved in the incident are only blocks away from each other on Yuma Drive, with each being owned by a rival gang member. A member of the Hells Angels lived at 2640 Yuma Drive and a member of the Vagos gang lived at 2920 Yuma Drive.
The incident took place just after 12 pm Saturday afternoon, injuring at least five people with another thought to have been taken away in an unknown vehicle. Police are looking for that injured person.
Not only is the incident receiving nationwide attention, but a combination of law enforcement agencies is helping in the investigation. The Chino Valley Police Department, US Forest Service Law Enforcement, Department of Public Safety, Prescott and Prescott Valley Police Departments, and gang specialists assigned to GIITEM (Gang and Immigration Intelligence Enforcement Mission) - the Arizona State Gang Task Force are all involved.
As police collect evidence and piece together not only what happened but who did what, motorcycles were among the evidence being taken away from the scene of the crime yesterday.
