Motorcycle riders sent letters to officials connected to the Waco Twin Peaks arrests, putting them on notice to “CEASE AND DESIST ALL DEFAMATION OF MOTORCYCLE RIDERS’ CHARACTER AND REPUTATION.”
The bikers claim that if officials do not cease and desist defaming them, and do not retract statements made, they will pursue all legal remedies in a class action lawsuit.
A representative for “2 Million Bikers to D.C.,” John Bostick, sent the letters to Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman, Justice of the Peace Walter P. Peterson, and Waco P.D. Sergeant Patrick Swanton. The letters were all sent by certified mail, return receipt requested. Bostick says that these “three that assaulted the reputation of the average motorcycle enthusiast.”
Bostick lives in Athens, Texas, and serves as the southwest regional coordinator for the 2 Million Bikers to D.C. group.
The letters to the officials were all similar but Bostick charged the police chief with approving the released statement. The letter to the chief appears below.
The letters begin, “Motorcycle Riders are educated, respected professionals in their communities. They have spent years serving their communities in their professions and building positive reputations.” It continues, “Motorcycle Riders are aware that you have engaged in spreading false, destructive, and defamatory rumors about them.”
The cease-and-desist letter accuses the recipients of very similar actions but Bostick’s letter to the police chief states: “Your defamatory actions involved under the color of law, your support of the Waco Police Departments press releases that claimed that average American Motorcycle Riders are gang members with alleged criminal organization connections and were meeting at Twin Peaks to engage in a war over territory and recruitment. These allegations were released publicly with you having full knowledge of, or should have had full knowledge of the scheduled COCI political meeting these motorcycle riders were attending. This verbal assault on the motorcycling community has caused damage that continues to increase.”
The letter to the police sergeant reads similarly but Bostick points the finger at him as the writer of the press releases.
With regard to Judge Peterson, Bostick charges, “You placed average motorcycle riders under 1 million dollar bails ‘to send a message.’”
According to the Waco Tribune-Herald, Peterson said, “I think it is important to send a message.… We had nine people killed in our community. These people just came in, and most of them were from out of town. Very few of them were from in town.”
Breitbart Texas reported about the $1 million bonds that criminal defense lawyers and bondsmen called “astronomical” and “punitive.” A lawyer filed a motion to recuse Peterson and the other judges who set these bonds.
In addition to ceasing any defamatory actions, the bikers give the recipients 30 days to publicly retract statements through every media outlet that carried the “slanderous libel claims.” The bikers also demanded that the recipients “provide us with prompt written assurance that you will cease and desist from further defamation of Motorcycle Riders’ character and reputation.”
The bikers declare that “In the event you fail to meet this demand, please be advised that Motorcycle Riders in a class action joint effort will pursue all available legal remedies, including monetary damages, injunctive relief, and an order that you pay court costs and attorney’s fees.”
The southwest regional coordinator for the 2 Million Bikers to D.C. group told Breitbart Texas, “I know there are three facts in the Waco shooting: (a) law enforcement engaged in a military attack on civilians; (b) they justified it by claiming they were protecting the community; and (c) they are withholding all evidence that could substantiate their claims.”
The bikers plan a “Bikers Strike Back” motorcycle rally on July 18th at 6:00 p.m. at the McLennan County, Texas, courthouse.
Lana Shadwick is a contributing writer and legal analyst for Breitbart Texas. She has served as a prosecutor and an associate family court judge. Follow her on Twitter@LanaShadwick2
Cease and Desist Letter to Waco Police Chief:
Cease and Desist Letter to Waco Police Chief