On May 17, 2015, a deadly shootout occurred at a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas, where over 200 people, including members of motorcycle clubs like the Bandidos and Cossacks, gathered to discuss political rights for motorcyclists. Law enforcement officers, including 18 from the Waco Police Department and four Texas Highway Patrol troopers, were present outside the restaurant to monitor the meeting. According to police reports, they returned fire after being shot at.

The violent encounter resulted in nine bikers losing their lives and 18 others being injured. In the aftermath, 177 individuals were arrested, many facing charges related to organized crime. However, the legal proceedings that followed were heavily criticized, with The New York Times describing the prosecutors’ actions as excessive. The Waco Tribune-Herald later referred to the situation as a “four-year prosecutorial fiasco,” which ultimately ended without a single conviction.

The conflict at Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas, on May 17, 2015, began shortly after noon, as Waco police, who were monitoring motorcycle club activity, reported. The initial dispute allegedly started over a parking spot, where someone’s foot was reportedly run over, leading to an escalation of tensions. At 12:24 p.m., gunfire broke out.

Waco Police Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton did not disclose how many of the dead or injured were struck by police bullets but acknowledged that it was possible some victims were shot by officers. He stated, “They started shooting at our officers, and our officers returned fire.” In total, nine bikers were killed, and 18 others were hospitalized with injuries, a number later updated to 20.

Swanton explained that officers implemented “Active Shooter” protocols, allowing them to engage with deadly force quickly. All fatalities and most injuries were the result of gunshot wounds. The shootout became the deadliest and most significant event in Waco since the 1993 Branch Davidian siege.

During a bail reduction hearing on June 5, prosecutor Michael Jarrett stated that video evidence showed members of the Bandidos and Cossacks executing each other. He argued for maintaining high bonds due to the extraordinary and unprecedented nature of the case, emphasizing the need to protect the community.

While gunfire caused all the deaths, other weapons such as chains, brass knuckles, knives, clubs, and batons were also seized. A police source suggested that four bikers were killed by police gunfire, though Swanton cautioned that this information might be incorrect, pending autopsy results. Witnesses interviewed by the Associated Press described the shootout as starting with a few pistol shots before escalating into semi-automatic weapons fire. Only one semi-automatic rifle, found locked in a car, was confiscated from the bikers, though the affidavit released on June 16 indicated the presence of additional firearms. Both bikers and police officers at the scene were armed with semi-automatic weapons. Swanton noted that bikers fired more shots than the police, and it would take months to complete ballistics reports.

Security footage viewed by the Associated Press showed that the shooting began on the patio, prompting most bikers to seek safety inside the restaurant, first in the bathroom and then in the kitchen when the bathroom filled up. The footage did not capture the events in the parking lot.

On June 12, the Waco Police Department revealed that three officers had fired their .223-caliber rifles a total of 12 times, hitting four bikers. In total, 44 spent casings were recovered from the scene.

Documents released on June 16 included an affidavit detailing the police and prosecution’s account of the events leading up to the shootout. According to the affidavit, the Cossacks arrived over an hour before the scheduled 1:00 p.m. meeting and took over the patio area reserved for the meeting. When a group of Bandidos arrived, tensions escalated as the Cossacks confronted them, with some drawing weapons. Bandidos member Reginald Weathers testified that a Cossack punched him, and he was subsequently shot, though he did not see who fired the shot. A fight ensued, with members of both clubs drawing weapons and engaging in violence. Bandidos president David Martinez fired a .32 caliber pistol, which he later hid in a parked car. Following this, police opened fire, adding to the chaos. Martinez was among those arrested but has since been released on bond.

All nine men killed in the Waco shootout died from gunshot wounds. Initial police reports incorrectly stated that eight of the deceased were Cossacks and one was a Bandido.

– **Daniel Raymond “Diesel” Boyett**, 44, a Cossack, was shot in the head.
– **Wayne Lee “Sidetrack” Campbell**, 43, a Cossack, was shot in the head and torso.
– **Richard Matthew “Chain” Jordan, III**, 31, a Cossack, was shot in the head.
– **Richard Vincent “Bear” Kirschner Jr.**, 47, a Cossack, was shot in an unspecified area.
– **Jacob Lee Rhyne**, 39, a Cossack, was shot in the neck.
– **Jesus Delgado Rodriguez**, 65, who was unaffiliated, was shot in the head and torso.
– **Charles Wayne “Dog” Russell**, 46, a Cossack, was shot in the chest.
– **Manuel Issac Rodriguez**, 40, a Bandido, was shot in an unspecified area.
– **Matthew Mark Smith**, 27, a Scimitar, was shot in the torso.

Jacob Lee Rhyne, a father of two from Ranger, Texas, had joined the Cossacks six months earlier and reportedly did not own a gun. His girlfriend stated, “I cannot see Jake going there if he knew there was going to be trouble. Our kids were too important.”

Jesus Rodriguez, a Vietnam War Marine Corps veteran and father of seven from New Braunfels, Texas, was described by his son as being “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and not carrying weapons. Although he was an associate of the Bandidos, he was not a patched-in member. He had received a Navy Commendation Medal and a Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam.

Daniel Boyett, the only Waco resident among those killed, owned and operated a trucking company with his third wife.

Manuel Rodriguez, a married Bandido, was known by the nickname “Bandido Candyman.”

As of May 19, seven of the injured remained hospitalized in stable condition. According to attorney Seth Sutton, who negotiated the first bail, four of those arrested had complained that they were jailed before they could have bullet fragments removed from their bodies.