Accused says Hells Angels attacked him

OFF THE WIRE
By DALE VINCENT
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
MANCHESTER – A man charged in a gun incident at a South Willow Street restaurant said he was assaulted by a half-dozen Hells Angels and he had it his head to retaliate by shooting them.

But Michael Keller, 39, of 4 Aladdin Circle, Derry, challenged an attempted first-degree assault charge in Manchester District Court Monday. Using a few colorful words to describe the Hells Angels, Keller claimed he was assaulted by Hells Angels members inside Cactus Jack's Sunday night and police did nothing about it.


From left, Michael Keller and Thomas Ross
He's accused of leaving the restaurant and going to Derry to get guns and returning to the restaurant with the intent to assault. In court, Keller admitted he had the guns, and said while he thought about using them, he didn't. He said one of the Hells Angels was close to him and said: "I could have shot him, but I didn't." He said: "To shoot people wasn't the right thing to do that day."

Calling the Hells Angels punks, he said: "It never happened. I didn't assault or attempt to assault anybody," he said.

Police prosecutor Steven Mangone said Keller's criminal record dates back to 1990, with the most recent convictions out of Derry District Court for drug possession in 2007 and drug possession and assault in 2009.

In the Sunday night incident, Mangone said, Keller's particular beef was with motorcycle club member Joseph Decosta and Keller left the restaurant to get a gun. According to court documents, after his arrest Keller told police he had a previous conflict with Decosta's girlfriend.

A condition of Keller's $30,000 cash-only bail bars contact with Decosta or going to his residence. It also bars Keller from Cactus Jack's, 782 South Willow St.

A probable cause hearing on the felony was set for Oct. 28 and a Jan. 26 trial date was set on a second offense operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of liquor charge and one of carrying a concealed weapon without a license. Police said testing showed Keller had a blood alcohol level of .10.

Court documents show police went to the restaurant about 9:30 p.m. Sunday in response to a call about a man with a gun, sitting in a car in the parking lot, who wanted to shoot Hells Angels inside the restaurant.


State Police personnel unloads equipment from a car in the parking lot at Cactus Jack's in Manchester Sunday night. (MARK BOLTON)
The manager told police Keller had been removed from the restaurant, but had returned.

While investigating, police found two loaded guns in a white car in the lot and what they initially believed was a pipe bomb. Members of the State Police Explosives Disposal Unit, who were called to the scene, later determined the device was a replica and not a live incendiary device.

A man who was with Keller Sunday night, Thomas Ross, 34, of 23 Beaver Ave., Derry, was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon without a permit. Ross was released on $1,000 cash/surety bail and scheduled for arraignment in Manchester District Court Nov. 4.

According to the court documents, while at the police station, Keller told police Ross had nothing to do with the incident. Officer Casey Siegle quoted Keller as saying: "I was the one that went and got the guns. He had nothing to do with it." Siegle said Keller also said: "I was gonna go shoot some (Hells Angels). . . .I was gonna blast all five of them."

Staff reporter Jim Fennell contributed to this report.