Thursday, October 27, 2011

CALIFORNIA - Security tight for San Jose Hells Angels' funeral

 

 

OFF THE WIRE
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Jose police will be out in force at a funeral this weekend for a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club who was shot dead at the same cemetery two weeks earlier.
Mourners are expected to be back Saturday afternoon at the Oak Hill Funeral Home and Memorial Park on Curtner Avenue to honor Steve Tausan, 52, who was shot dead there during a funeral Oct. 15 for Jeffrey Pettigrew, president of the San Jose chapter of the motorcycle club.
Police are looking for another member of the club, 38-year-old Steve Ruiz, in connection with Tausan's slaying. They say the killing was the result of an internal club dispute.
A contingent of San Jose police officers was outside Pettigrew's funeral to assist in perimeter security and traffic control. There were no officers stationed inside the funeral home because police believed any threats would come from rival motorcycle groups. Pettigrew was shot dead by a member of an opposing biker club, police say.
"We didn't expect violence on the interior," said acting police Capt. Jeff Marozick.
Although more police officers will be on duty Saturday, they will remain outside, and this time the funeral is invitation-only, Marozick said.
"That is a response that the Hells Angels came up with," he said, adding the department agreed with that decision.
"They don't want to have an incident occur there any more than we do," Marozick said.
Ruiz and Tausan were among thousands of mourners at Pettigrew's funeral. Ruiz is "actively evading law enforcement," said police Sgt. Jason Dwyer.