Arrested Biker Speaks Out Against Police, Charges In Waco Shooting
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WACO, Texas (1080 KRLD) - One of the bikers arrested last month in Waco is scoffing at the police chief's contention that he had reason to jail over one hundred bikers on a $1 million bond.
Matthew Clendennen wants the U.S. Department of Justice to look into how the Waco police chief and a justice of the peace could get by locking up all 177 bikers after the May 17th shooting that left 9 people dead.
Clendennen says he isn't a gang member, but that he belongs to the Scimitars motorcycle club - one of the clubs that was called to Waco last month for a meeting. "We are just guys that like to ride motorcycles and get together." adding that they have many charitable causes.
But turning back to that fateful day in Waco, Clendennen said "I was arrested simply because I was there and was wearing a motorcycle vest."
He claims that when the violence erupted - he took cover. He says he was even asked to give a statement about the incident to investigators.
Clendennen insists he's no criminal - he's a small business owner who's losing a lot of money because of, what he describes as, boilerplate charges.
"Getting locked up like that, the whole thing was a shock" said Clendennen. "Out of the 177 arrested there were well over 100 of those people that have never been arrested or have any type of criminal background. How can you justify saying that everybody there was a member of a vicious gang?"
Clendennen has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit over the matter.
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