CINCINNATI, Police: Officers Wanted To Talk, Not Arrest Bikers

OFF THE WIRE
Source: wlwt.com
1 Dead, 3 Wounded In Saturday Shootout
-- A Cincinnati police commander said officers engaged in a shootout with a biker Saturday night didn't go to the bar to arrest anyone.

Lt. Col. Vince Demasi told News 5's John London on Monday that the officers only intended to speak with members of the Iron Horseman Motorcycle Club.

Demasi said that officers had noticed an increasing number of Iron Horseman members frequenting JD's Honky Tonk and had concerns that the club was "taking over" the bar.

Demasi said police also had recent complaints that club members were looking for members of a rival club, the Detroit Highwaymen, to start trouble.

"They were merely going up there to check and say, 'Hey, this is not a motorcycle hangout, (and) we really don't want this kind of issue here,'" Demasi said. "'If you're here to have a beer or whatever, that's great. If you're here to cause trouble (or) fight, we don't want that here.' And never got a chance to really express that."

When officers noticed a number of Iron Horsemen at the bar Saturday, they called for backup and vice units to accompany them inside to talk to the club, Demasi said.

Some bar patrons said Sunday that the vice officers wore masks, but Demasi and other patrons said the officers were clearly identified as police.

As the officers walked through the bar, uniformed officers in front, Demasi said one of the club members, identified only as "Harold the enforcer," stood up and opened fire on them. Officers returned fire.

Police Chief Tom Streicher told London that 30 shots were fired in all, but only the one club member fired on police.

"The best laid plans sometimes just turn to hell on you, and that's what happened here that night," Streicher said.

In the shootout, one member of the club was killed and another was wounded. Two Cincinnati police officers were wounded, one in the hip, the other in the leg. Both have been treated and released from University Hospital.

"There are always risk factors, and sometimes the risk factors go up enormously depending on what type of condition you're approaching and what type of situation you're trying to address," Streicher said.

Several club members were taken into custody, but so far only one faces any charges, and those are weapons charges unrelated to the shooting.

Police believe the club member who opened fire was also the man who was killed.

Another club member, 47-year-old Lew Erskine, of Bethel, appeared Monday morning in court on weapons charges.

Police said Erskine never drew his weapons or fired a shot, but he was charged with having two guns inside the bar.

Streicher said Erskine and all other club members complied with officers' commands following the shootout.

Area residents familiar with the club said members were generally law abiding and peaceful. "I have a lot of good friends up there, (and) they come to see me," said Ray Devers, of California, Ohio. "They don't bother nothing."

The club operates California Motor Sales, which sells motorcycles to a wide variety of riders, neighbors said.

"I can't say about the specifics there, but in this neighborhood they don't bother anyone," said neighbor Jeff Reynolds.