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The '02 River Run
Day 5: Sunday, 4/28
The Day of R&R
Sunday morning opened another day of perfect riding weather. A few got out early, but most riders got on the road around mid-morning. It was a laid-back day to relax and enjoy, after the exhuberant chaos of Friday and the ups and downs of Saturday.
Biker War Update
Cops interrogated some 500 people over the Angel/Mongols fight, and impounded about 100 motorcycles parked around Harrah's. The bikes were hauled on flatbed trucks to Metro's Laughlin substation.
The whole 2-minute shootout was captured on the casino's surveillance videotapes, showing two Mongols surrounded by Hells Angels and getting in deep.
"One of the Hells Angels guys pulls out a gun and pops him in the head, and after that it's just pandemonium," , Sgt. Chuck Jones said.
"Blow by blow, stab by stab and shot by shot, we know exactly what happened in that casino," said Lt. Vince Cannito, Las Vegas Metro PD information officer.
John Davidson, 39, from L.A., was playing blackjack when the shooting started, and had the presence of mind to grab his $1200 in chips before diving under the table. He told a local reporter, "I was 10 feet away when it all started. There had been a confrontation the night before between the Hells Angels and the Mongols and the Mongols came back to retaliate. They came in the front door of the casino and immediately started shooting. I saw one guy get a bullet in the back and it came out his chest".
The fight only lasted 2 minutes because cops ran into the line of fire and broke it up, firing a couple of shots themselves. Reports say all those killed or injured were members of one club or the other.
Calvin Schaefer, 32, of Chandler, Arizona, allegedly a Hells Angel, was arrested Saturday, charged with "murder with a deadly weapon with intent to promote or assist a gang".
30 other people were arrested on various unrelated charges after the Clark County sheriff issued an emergency order intended to keep the River Run peaceful.
Meanwhile, homicide detectives in San Benardino County, California, investigate the shooting of a motorcyclist on I-40 about 100 miles from Laughlin. Christian H. Tate, 28, of San Diego, was found about 3:10 a.m. Saturday near Ludlow, shot dead on the road next to a downed 2000 Harley-Davidson. An anonymous police source said both bike and rider wore Hells Angels insignia. Tate had been shot several times, apparently while riding down the road. Police think the killing occurred about 1:30 a.m., 45 minutes before the shootout at Harrah's.
As of Sunday evening, 8 remained hospitalized inVegas and Bullhead from the Harrah's gunfight. Members of both clubs were in the Bullhead City hospital, guarded by patrol cars in the cleared parking lot and police snipers on the roof.
A pack of riders wearing Angels rags were headquartered at Gretchen's Inn in Old Bullhead, but managed to stay out of the headlines.
Saturday night's bridge barricade lasted only briefly. Too bad they couldn't get that word out to the people who were stuck. Maybe they should include a programmable road sign in their barricade equipment list. The blockade was caused by "credible reports that more violence could happen" - probably from some blowhard biker ranting on a tapped line. Newspapers say the bridge was closed again for several hours early Sunday.
Saturday Night in Laughlin
People tell me everything not at Harrah's went on as planned and everybody had a great time. Thanks to the barricade, I missed plenty, including a free Canned Heat concert, and the raffle drawing of four new Harleys.
A V-Rod and Road King were raffled off at the Ramada Express at 6. At the River Palms, at 7, somebody won a $20,000 '02 Night Train with a 1450cc TC88 engine. At 10 o'clock, at Sassy Sue's in the Pioneer, a new Fat Boy went with luck. The winner there had five minutes to step up and claim the prize, or it would be drawn again. I'm real sorry I missed that one. I hope winning tickets weren't stranded on the wrong side of the river.
The Circus Leaves Town
After taking in another minor wreck noon Sunday at the Gold Road hairpin, I took a ride down to Laughlin. Traffic on the strip was back to normal. Vendors were folding their tents, and the demo bikes were being wrangled into semi-trailers. Sad. Three days of this is not enough!
Back in Oatman, sunburned riders were lounging around, taking it easy, enjoying the atmosphere and the weather. I sat in front of my digs on 66 and watched 'em ride out in twos and threes. Shopkeepers closed up and went by down the hill. I saw the two undercover cops go by in their white car, talking at each other and waving their hands, and I knew it was over.
But man it was fun, and it left a good feeling behind.