Breitbart Texas has filed a formal request for the release of video tapes that might shed more light on the questions being raised about the mass arrest of bikers after the shooting incident outside a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas on May 17th. The written request asks for surveillance video from Twin Peaks and the nearby Don Carlos restaurant, as well a police dash-cam video.
After a spate of recent court filings about the legality of the $1,000,000 bail that the “Waco 170” bikers face, even the most fundamental questions about the shooting have not been answered.
Weeks after the clash that left 9 dead and 18 injured, we still have no idea how many of the dead were killed by other bikers, and how many were shot by the police. There are also differing accounts of where and how the conflict started.
These questions remain even after autopsies have been performed and the crime scene is long closed, because Waco authorities have gone quiet about the shooting.
The estimated 150 bikers still in custody, their families, and the general public all deserve to have the basic questions about what really happened at Waco answered. The continued silence from authorities in the face of lingering questions encourages rumor-mongering, and erodes citizen faith in public officials.
Breitbart Texas filed a request that reads, in part:
Dear Custodian of Records for the Waco Police Department:
Under the Texas Public Information Act, §6252-17a et seq., I am requesting an opportunity to inspect or obtain copies of public records pertaining to: all video related to the May 17, 2015 shootings at or around the Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas, including but not limited to surveillance video from the Twin Peaks and Don Carlos restaurants, and the police dash cam video.
The Texas Public Information Act requires that you “promptly produce” the requested records unless, within 10 days, you have sought an Attorney General’s Opinion. If you expect a significant delay in responding to this request, please contact me with information about when I might expect copies or the ability to inspect the requested records. If you deny any or all of this request, please cite each specific exemption you feel justifies the refusal to release the information and notify me of the appeal procedures available to me under the law.
The City of Waco responded to Breitbart Texas, saying:
Thank you for your interest in public records of the City of Waco. Your request has been received and is being processed in accordance with Chapter 552 of Texas Government Code, the Public Information Act. Your request was given the reference number W050972-060415 for tracking purposes.
We’ll update our readers when we know more.
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