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U.S. NEWSWednesday 20 May 2015

Matthew Apperson, who authorities say was involved in a shooting incident involving George Motorcycle gang shootout
Zimmerman, enters the Lake Mary Police Department with his attorney in Lake Mary, Fla. A
police report says Apperson, charged with shooting at George Zimmerman on May 11, had “a began as a parking dispute
fixation” on the former neighborhood watch leader. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP, File)
EMILY SCHMALL
Police Report: Associated Press
WACO, Texas (AP) — A deadly weekend shootout in-
Shooter was fixated on Zimmerman volving rival motorcycle gangs apparently began with
a parking dispute and someone running over a gang
MIKE SCHNEIDER chological or psychiatric Zimmerman, “You owe me member’s foot, police said Tuesday.
Associated Press degrees that are held by your life. The only reason Police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said an uninvited group
ORLANDO, Florida (AP) — A the officers at the Lake Mary I didn’t press charges on appeared for the meeting of a loose confederation of
Florida man charged with Police Department,” LaFay you is because I wanted to biker gangs held Sunday at a restaurant.
shooting at George Zimmer- told The Associated Press on kill you myself,” Zimmerman One man was injured when a vehicle rolled over his foot.
man last week had “a fixa- Tuesday. “I’m going to take told detectives, according That caused a dispute that continued inside the restau-
tion” on the former neigh- their diagnoses with a grain to the report. rant, where fighting and then shooting began, before
borhood watch leader and of salt.” Zimmerman and Apperson the melee spilled back outside, Swanton said.
had recently been admit- Zimmerman was acquit- had a previous road-rage When the shootout was over, nine people were dead
ted to a mental institution, ted of any crime two years encounter last September, and 18 wounded.
according to a police re- ago for fatality shooting un- when Apperson alleged About 50 weapons were confiscated, mostly knives and
port made public Tuesday. armed black teen Trayvon that Zimmerman had threat- firearms, and Swanton said more than 100 weapons
The Lake Mary Police De- Martin. The case sparked ened him. Apperson decid- may be found once authorities are done analyzing the
partment report said that protests and a national de- ed not to pursue charges, crime scene at the Twin Peaks restaurant.
36-year-old Matthew Ap- bate about race relations. and police officers were un- Preliminary autopsy results showed all nine of the dead
person had shown signs of The U.S. Justice Department able to move forward with- were killed by gunshots. Most of the men were in their
paranoia, anxiety and bipo- later decided not to bring a out a car tag identified or 40s, but they ranged in age from 27 to 65, according to
lar disorder. civil rights case against Zim- witnesses. reports released by a McLennan County justice of the
Apperson’s attorney, Mi- merman. Two days later, Apperson peace.
chael LaFay, refused to Zimmerman told officers he called police to report that Of the injured, seven remain hospitalized. Swanton de-
comment on any past had been driving in the Or- Zimmerman’s truck was scribed their conditions as stable.
hospitalizations of Apper- lando suburb of Lake Mary parked near the disability- He said the investigation is being hampered by witness-
son, but he questioned the last week when Apperson benefits office where he es who “are not being honest with us.”
qualifications of the Police got behind his truck and worked. Zimmerman told Police are concerned that the brawl will invite retalia-
Department to make any yelled, “You remember me police officers he had an tion and more violence, Swanton said.
psychological or psychiatric you fat mother f-----?” ac- appointment in the same Authorities warned weeks ago of growing animosity be-
diagnoses. cording to the report. office park, and no charges tween rival motorcycle gangs, a feud that erupted into
“I’m unaware of any psy- Apperson then yelled at were filed.q violence at the restaurant, which had drawn a large
lunchtime crowd to a busy Waco shopping complex
along Interstate 35.
In a memo dated May 1, the Texas Department of Public
Safety cautioned authorities about increasing violence
between the Bandidos and the Cossacks, Dallas TV sta-
tion WFAA reported Monday.
McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara has said all
nine of those killed were part of those two groups. About
170 bikers have been charged with engaging in orga-
nized crime. Swanton said more arrests are likely.
McLennan County Justice of the Peace W.H. Peterson
set bond at $1 million for each suspect. He defended
the high amount, citing the violence that quickly unfold-
ed in a shopping market busy with a lunchtime crowd.
The DPS Joint Information Center bulletin said the ten-
sion could stem from Cossacks refusing to pay Bandi-
dos dues for operating in Texas and for wearing a patch
on their vest that claimed Texas as their turf without the
Bandidos’ approval.
“Traditionally, the Bandidos have been the dominant
motorcycle club in Texas, and no other club is allowed
to wear the Texas bar without their consent,” the bulletin
said, according to WFAA.q