Well, he's sure serving a purpose to what sure looks to me like a calculated PR strategy to taint Cossacks the same as Bandidos. Maybe Cossacks are on a par with true bad asses, but so far it looks like they're mostly pretty decent patriotic guys because the only sources to say otherwise are limited to "police intelligence," and at that only recently.
Of the 12 Cossacks whose property was seized in the arrests, only four had arrest records, and for stuff like DUI and pot, unlawful carry, "aggravated assault." ONE even had a bb gun stashed in his truck! Scary!!
Of the 15 Bandidos arrested and property seized, seven had arrest records and a lot of convictions representing drug manufacture and delivery (meth), lots of theft, robbery -- bad-ass stuff.
The only other sign I've found of a real live "felon" Cossack is KC Massey (don't know for what felony), currently awaiting jury selection scheduled to start July 28, for his trial on an ATF charge of "felon in possession of a firearm." Massey led a private armed patrol to stop illegal drug and human trafficking on private property at the Texas Mexico border. The ATF isn't screaming that the guy was helping the illegals or drug smugglers, ONLY that he was maybe doing it "illegally."
"The Cameron County Sheriff could find no violation of the law, but confiscated the weapons carried by Massey’s men." THAT is a Cossack in the news with an actual "crime" charged against him, apparently for helping property owners defend the border and their property.
I happen to like what riding Harleys does for people. That includes clubs of male brotherhoods, God knows it's the only place in America they're available -- not even the military has them anymore. As long as no crimes are committed, guys have a right to join Harley clubs and ride. It's the right of assembly. The ones who break laws and hurt others, it's the cops job to catch. But Harley fellowship, whether in "patched" clubs like Veteran riders, etc., or unpatched mustang unconventional independents, to weekender and so-called "yuppie" bikers, they're mostly good things, mostly highly patriotic, and lots of people enjoy the lifestyle how they please, civilly and legally.
Some of them are real brotherhoods, and that's their right and role. The role of lawmen is to catch criminals engaging in crimes.
Here, it is nothing more than militarized police arresting people who wear certain insignia. Lawmen are ABSENT.
The whole thing is nuts.
Nothing I've found indicated that the Cossacks there were considered particularly "criminal" before this incident. Even if there was -- that this so-called showdown "shootout" took place in a time and place where they could arrest 177 people and permanently harm probably 150 or more totally innocent people guilty of nothing more than being part of the biker demographic ... which is notoriously patriotic ...
bump