Noted immediately is the absence of W. Patrick Swanton, replaced by Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman. According to Stroman there were snipers positioned prior to the chaos, they also carried rifles with full-auto capability, however they only fired 12 rounds.

Here’s the report by Olivia Messer a local reporter for the Waco Tribune:

WACO – Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman reported Friday that three Waco officers fired a total of 12 shots during the May 17 Twin Peaks shootout.

Stroman said 12 shell casings were fired from police rifles and found on the scene. No other law enforcement officers from other agencies fired their weapons, he said.

So far a total of 44 casings have been recovered, but Stroman said that total doesn’t include any casings that remain inside revolvers that were fired. All other shells found at the scene weren’t from law enforcement weapons, he said. (more…)

(Via Waco Tribune) A member of the Bandidos motorcycle gang described Wednesday how he was punched in the face and then shot May 17 while rushing to defend a Bandidos president, who became embroiled in an argument with the rival Cossacks moments after the Bandidos rode in from Dallas.

Two Bandidos asked 54th State District Judge Matt Johnson to reduce their $1 million bonds at back-to-back hearings Wednesday. Reginald Weathers, 43, of Forney, was successful, but his fellow Bandido, Marcus Pilkington, 36, of Mexia, who has at least four pending felony cases against him in Limestone and Ellis counties, was not. (more…)

https://twitter.com/bageanderson/status/607625246355517440
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WACO (June 5, 2015) Five more jailed defendants in the Twin Peaks shooting case have filed for bond reduction hearings, bringing the total number of filings to 84 over the past two weeks.

New filings were posted by Brian Joseph Brincks, Ronnie Carl Bishop, Nathan Clark Grindstaff, James Rosas and Raymond Clifton Hawes, III.
In all, 47 defendants have been released on bonds lowered from $1 million to between $15,000 and $250,000 and 130 defendants remain in custody, jail records showed Friday morning. (more…)

Several people, ourselves included, have filed public records requests with the Waco Texas police department seeking information about the events of May 17th in the Twin Peaks shooting.  However, the Waco PD is clearly violating the spirit and intent of Texas Public Records laws while responding with essentially irrelevant information.
With more scrutiny of the events, some LEO advocates find themselves in denial mode as the ever-growing probability looms that many, if not most, of the killed/wounded met their fate as a consequence of an over-aggressive police response.   Jason Sickles of Yahoo News has his take.  (We embed the released FOIA information below – you can decide.)

TEXAS – As questions remain unanswered about last month’s deadly biker rampage in Waco, Texas, police there are trying to clamp down on public information about the case.

The move comes as scrutiny intensifies over the Waco Police Department’s handling of the sensational shootout that killed nine bikers, injured 18 and saw an unprecedented 175 people arrested and charged with engaging in organized crime.

By law, crime and arrest reports containing basic data — information such as a detailed description of the offense and the name and a description of the victim — have to be provided. (more…)

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.  ~ VI amendment ~

Remember, according to Waco PD -numerous times- every person arrested was a member of an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang. According to Waco PD Spokesperson W. Patrick Swanton (in four different interviews where he justified the mass arrest, incarceration and million dollar bonds) each of the arrested “gang bikers” represented a similar risk profile and danger to the public if they were allowed to be released.

Yet somehow, the Waco PD is now allowing 25 “heavily armed” and “notoriously dangerous gang members” to have bond reductions. Also, important note, the article states the prosecutor’s office has reviewed all of the video evidence.
WACO TEXAS – Twenty-five bikers arrested in the May 17 shootout at Twin Peaks have been released from jail since Thursday, when prosecutors and defense attorneys started negotiating the reduction of bonds. (more…)

On Sunday, the Houston based law firm Looney and Conrad, PC. sent out a statement saying jailed bikers had been presented with a deal that would reduce their bond amount in exchange for their agreement not to sue the Waco Police Department.  The firm later reported a defense attorney named Brittany Lannen was the source of the liability waiver development.
Steven Walker and Julie Perkins, had their bonds reduced from $1 million to $25,000 after their attorney, Brittany Lannen, reached an agreement with the Waco DA’s office and Lannen denies knowing anything about a liability waiver.  She claims the law firm of Looney and Conrad completely fabricated the story.   ~ Full Story Here ~

Meanwhile the first interview with arrested bikers took place yesterday:

WACO — KCEN got an exclusive interview with the first bikers to speak publicly after the Twin Peaks shooting, capturing the moments right after their release from jail after being arrested for the May 17th shooting that left nine bikers dead and 18 more injured.

Waco Police had said the 170-plus bikers arrested were part of criminal motorcycle gangs. However, William English, 33, and Morgan English, 30, say otherwise, and that they had come to the sports bar for a friendly meeting between motorcycle clubs, and they weren’t even inside the restaurant when the brawl broke out. (more…)

Several places are now reporting a very disconcerting claim about the justice system in Waco Texas requesting detainees sign waivers promising not to sue the city for unlawful arrest, detention, and civil rights violations.
UPDATE 6/2/15 2:00pm:  The Liability Waiver Story appears completely false.  READ HERE 

One law firm has posted the following on their Facebook page outlining the demand:

BREAKING NEWS IN WACO: Read our Media Release being distributed at this time:

BOND REDUCTIONS OFFERED ONLY IN EXCHANGE FOR WAIVING POTENTIAL LAWSUITS IN WACO SHOOTOUT

Waco, Texas – Earlier today, detainees in the Jack Harwell Detention Center in Waco were told that in exchange for bond reductions, they must sign a document stating the Waco police “had the right to arrest the inmate and that he/she will not file a lawsuit against McLennan County and/or the City of Waco.” (more…)

We also concur that a host of lawsuits against numerous authority will follow as a result of the unconstitutional detainment and arrest practices of the Waco Police. 
Eventually, years from now, as law school students confer for their first and second year classes, the Waco shooting at “Twin Peaks” will be used as a case study showcasing the how law enforcement can, and will, overreact. 
(Via Aging Rebel) The first of what will surely be a blizzard of federal civil rights lawsuits was filed this morning against the city of Waco and McLennan County, Texas.
Scimitar Motorcycle Club member Matthew Alan Clendennen (above) is also suing Waco police officer Manuel Chavez, who signed the criminal complaint against Clendennen and up to 177 other arrestees. Chavez’ criminal complaint states that “I hereby state upon my oath that I have reason to believe and do believe that heretofore, and before making and filing of this complaint, that on or about May 17, 2015 in McLennan County, Texas, the said Clendennen, Matthew Alan did then and there, as a member of a criminal street gang, commit or conspire to commit murder, capital murder, or aggravated assault against the laws of the State.”
[…] The lawsuit notes that “the identical criminal complaint used in Plaintiff Matthew Alan Clendennen’s case was used to justify the arrest of more than 100 other individuals and only the names were changed in the various criminal complaints. The complaint alleges absolutely no individualized probable cause to establish that Plaintiff Matthew Alan Clendennen engaged in organized criminal activity (more…)

You might find this interesting.   We continue to look at resource avenues to unearth the factual story of what took place in Waco Texas at the Twin Peaks restaurant.  Toward that end we reached out to a local reporter covering the entire story with some general communication and questions.
As a result of that contact the following excerpt is direct from them (emphasis mine):

…[…] Also, to be clear, according to my research, 18 PD officers were on scene but only 4 fired weapons. All of those officers are considered “involved”, even without having fired.

So the number of officers who are on administrative leave, pending customary investigation, includes more than just those who participated in the shots being fired.
Waco Spokesperson W. Patrick Swanton was previously quoted as stating:

[…]  In anticipation of possible problems, 14 Waco officers and four Texas Department of Public Safety troopers were positioned around the restaurant, where a coalition of biker groups planned to meet on Sunday.
The 14 officers involved in the gun battle are all now on administrative leave, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings, Swanton said.

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