Texas police say 170 people are facing organized crime charges following a biker gang shootout, which left nine dead and 18 others injured in Waco on Sunday. Law enforcement remains on alert in the city, with officers saying they have received threats.
The individuals are being “arrested and processed this morning…they will all face Engaging in Organized Crime charges. They are being booked and processed at this time…” the Waco Police Department wrote on its Facebook page on Monday.
It was previously reported that 192 people were being charged, though that number was revised down. Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton stressed that the number will likely continue to be “flexible.”
In a Monday news conference, Swanton said that various biker groups have threatened law enforcement officers since the shootout took place.
“We are very aware that some of them (biker groups) have come into our city and we have a contingency plan to deal with those individuals if they try to cause trouble here,” he said, later adding that “we have plenty of space in our county jail.”
Twin Peaks restaurant – the scene of the crime – has been prohibited from selling liquor or “moving liquor in or out of the establishment” for seven days, though it is allowed to be open for food sales.
However, Swanton said he hopes the restaurant will use this as a “cooling off period,” choosing to remain closed out of “respect” for the community.