BY: Brandie Kessler
pottsmerc.com
" well lets see, it seems either the cops are lying about the calls that came in, or someone is making false reports to the cops, which is illegal in itself. sure seems someone is lying, yet everyone is bashing the club. kinna like when i went to a bar, got a beer, and sat down, then 2 guys started trash talking me, trying to get me to confront them,which i didnt. they left, and it turns out they were off duty cops. yep, cops are the most stand up people around. its all the sheep that make me sick...yep like the people that have posted so far that cant see the forest for the trees. "
Reports of a woman being assaulted inside the clubhouse of a motorcycle gang evolved into a SWAT incident Friday morning requiring the use of tear gas.
Pottstown Police Chief Mark Flanders, who serves as the commander of the Chester-Montgomery Emergency Response Team, confirmed that police had received reports around 6 a.m. Friday that a woman was being assaulted at 60 S. Adams St., between High and Queen streets.
The location — 60 S. Adams St. — “has become a frequent flier spot” for police in recent months, as the motorcycle gang known as the Wheels of Soul has rented the space for its clubhouse, Flanders confirmed.
“We got a report of a fight in progress” initially, Flanders said. When police went to investigate, they found “it was totally quiet, nothing going on.” People were inside the building but refusing to answer the door, so police left when they found no evidence of a crime.
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However, police received another call a short time later from someone who believed a woman was being assaulted at the same address.
“A woman was screaming, telling people to get off of her,” Flanders said, referring to the report police received. When police responded to 60 S. Adams St. the second time, “again, ... there was no evidence of anything going on.” This time, however, police were able to make contact with someone at the scene who was able to provide information that verified reports police had received.
Police, Flanders said, were able to obtain a search warrant for 60 S. Adams St. While they were waiting for the warrant, “numerous individuals came out of the building,” Flanders said.
Those people were detained and questioned by police.
Police had yet to enter the building and after getting differing stories regarding the number of people who may still be inside, Flanders said CMERT was called in to execute the search warrant. A woman and child in the garage space adjacent to 60 S. Adams St. were evacuated for their safety and then the tactical team moved in.
“There were still people inside refusing to open the doors” around 9 a.m. Friday, Flanders said. Around 9:45 a.m., the tactical team was able to enter the building and take one man into custody.
Believing others may still be inside the building, the tactical team used tear gas to try and force them out before confirming shortly after 10 a.m. that no one else was in the building.
Flanders said two men, identified by police as Russell Dennis Seddon, 26, and Robert Wayne Pfanders, 43, were arrested after it was discovered they had outstanding bench warrants. Whether those men are members of the Wheels of Soul was not immediately known.
There didn’t appear to be any evidence that anything criminal was occurring within the building at the time police were called there, Flanders said, and the others who had initially been detained for questioning were released.
Flanders explained that police have been at 60 S. Adams St. many times over the past two to three months.
“Recently a group of individuals called the Wheels of Soul, which if you’re familiar with them are an outlaw motorcycle gang, have rented that property as a clubhouse,” Flanders said. “It’s our understanding that there’s some activity going on there that had nothing to do with (Friday)’s episode but we’ve been handling a lot of calls there for disturbances and fights, that type of stuff.”
Flanders said drug investigators had been in the midst of ongoing drug investigations involving 60 S. Adams St., when the unrelated search warrant was executed Friday. He said he is hopeful that any alleged criminal activity at the address will now stop.
“I’m really hoping the landlord does the right thing” and is more aware of the activity occurring in the space.
Police ask anyone with information regarding possible criminal activity at 60 S. Adams St., or anywhere in the borough to report it by calling 610-323-1212.
