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LMPD: 6 people injured after shooting at motorcycle club in southwest Louisville

Blakely McHugh & Jennifer Osting WLKY May 24, 2025
https://www.wlky.com/article/lmpd-shooting-motorcycle-club-southwest-louisville/71394986

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
Police are investigating after six people were injured following a shooting outside a motorcycle club in southwest Louisville.
According to Louisville Metro Police, officers were called out to the 1700 block of Berry Boulevard around 6 a.m. for reports of a shooting at the Str8 Ryderz motorcycle club.

When they got there, they found two women who had been shot. Their injuries were described a “non-fatal.”

Shortly after that, police said four additional women connected to that shooting arrived at UofL Hospital for treatment.
Originally, two of the women were being treated for gunshot wounds, while the other two were being treated for injuries unrelated to gunshots.

In an update Sunday afternoon, officials said the total number of victims remains six women, but five of them were now believed to have been shot.

One victim who was initially being treated for a head injury was later determined to have a graze wound.

Later, LMPD confirmed that at least four weapons were used during the shooting with approximately 90 spent rounds on the scene.
According to a statement from the Louisville Metro Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Str8 Ryderz is not a licensed establishment and illegal alcoholic beverages were found and removed from the location.

Around the same time the shooting occurred, officers with Shively Police responded to a deadly crash in the 3400 block of 7th Street Road, where two women in their 20s were killed.

Police said it’s unclear if the crash is connected to the shooting, but they added that there were “no obvious gunshot wounds” found on the victims. However, it’ll be up to the autopsy report to make any final determinations.

Shively Police are leading the investigation into the deadly crash, while LMPD’s Homicide, Non-Fatal Shooting and Traffic Units are working together to figure out if the two incidents may be related. ABC is leading an investigation into illegal alcoholic sales at the motorcycle club, and has sent the case to Metro Codes and Regulation for a “nuisance abatement review.”

Anyone with information about either incident is asked to call the anonymous tip line at (502)574-LMPD (5673) or utilize the online Crime Tip portal at LMPD Crime Tip Portal.

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At least 4 weapons used, 90 rounds fired during Jacobs neighborhood shooting that left 6 women injured

By WAVE Staff May 24, 2026 a
https://www.wave3.com/2026/05/24/least-4-weapons-used-90-rounds-fired-during-jacobs-neighborhood-shooting-that-left-5-women-injured/

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Louisville Metro Police Department officers are investigating a shooting that occurred early this morning in the 1700 block of Berry Boulevard.

At approximately 6 a.m., Fourth Division officers responded to a motorcycle club in the 1700 block of Berry Blvd on reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located two adult female victims suffering from non-fatal gunshot wounds.

In the hours following the incident, four additional adult female victims connected to the incident arrived at UofL Hospital for treatment.
Five of those individuals sustained gunshot wounds, while one other suffered non-gunshot-related injuries.

At this time, the investigation identified a total of five non-fatal shooting victims and one additional injured individual related to the incident.

LMPD spokesperson Matt Sanders confirmed to WAVE that at least 90 rounds were fired based on shell casings collected by detectives both inside and outside what was described as a “large” scene. Based on the casings, police believe at least four weapons were used during the shooting.

Sanders also confirmed the address of the shooting to be 1740 Berry Boulevard.

Additionally, around the same time, Shively Police responded to a fatal single-vehicle collision in the 3400 block of 7th Street Road involving two deceased occupants. At this stage of the investigation, it is unknown whether the fatal collision is connected to the Berry Boulevard shooting incident.

There were no obvious gunshot wounds observed on the deceased occupants; however, final determinations will be made following autopsy results. Shively Police are leading the traffic fatality investigation at this time.

Louisville Metro Councilmember Shameka Parrish-Wright, whose district both scenes are in, provided the following statement to WAVE regarding the shooting and crash:

Louisville, my heart is with everyone impacted by the shooting and crash incidents this morning in southwest Louisville. Multiple women were injured in the shooting on Berry Boulevard, and two women lost their lives in the deadly crash on 7th Street Road. I am praying for the victims, their loved ones, first responders, hospital staff, and the entire community affected by this violence and tragedy. It is heartbreaking that this happened in my district, and I know these incidents require multifaceted solutions to prevent.

I always try to be thoughtful and responsible before speaking publicly while information is still developing, but this is another painful reminder that too many people in our city are living with trauma, instability, conflict, and unsafe conditions that can escalate into violence and loss.

Public safety is not just about policing or holding a press conference after tragedy strikes. It is also about prevention, mental health support, violence interruption, community investment, safe spaces, economic opportunity, transportation safety, and making sure people feel seen and supported before situations spiral.

I appreciate the work of LMPD, Shively Police, EMS, firefighters, hospital staff, and all emergency personnel responding and investigating these incidents. I also encourage anyone with information to cooperate with investigators.

Louisville deserves neighborhoods where people can gather, travel, work, and live without fear. We must continue working together to build a city rooted in safety, stability, accountability, healing, and opportunity for everyone. My office will continue following up as more information becomes available.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LMPD Crime Tip Line at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or submit tips anonymously through our online crime tip portal.

This is a developing story.
Copyright 2026 WAVE. All rights reserved.

Multiple guns, motorcycle club vest seized in Tecumseh arrest: WPS

By Kate Otterbein CTV News Published: May 23, 2026
https://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/multiple-guns-motorcycle-club-vest-seized-in-tecumseh-arrest-wps/

Source: Windsor police/X.

Multiple guns have been seized in a Tecumseh arrest of a motorcycle club member.

Earlier in the month, the Windsor police launched an investigation looking into a 41-year-old man, said to be affiliated with ‘Satan’s Choice Motorcycle Club’.

A 40-year-old woman was also suspected of having illegal guns, officers said.

A search warrant was executed at a home in the 100 block of Amy Croft Drive in Tecumseh just after 2 a.m. on Friday.
Items seized included:

• Three loaded handguns, including a Smith and Wesson M&P gun, a Sig Sauer .45-calibre handgun, and a Colt .32-calibre hangun
• Loaded magazines
• Several rounds of ammo
• A Satan’s Choice Motorcycle Club biker vest

The man and woman were both charged with gun-related offenses.

Motorcycle gang members arrested after bar fight, police say

Douglasville police Chief Gary Sparks stands with motorcycles and rifles police say were confiscated

By GARY LEFTWICH STAFF WRITER May 22, 2026
https://www.douglascountysentinel.com/douglasville_sentinel/motorcycle-gang-members-arrested-after-bar-fight-police-say/article_199ea604-b02f-531a-87a0-46bfa6f997e5.html

Note A-I version reporting from Douglasville Georgia

Police said the two men are among a group of Vagos members accused of assaulting a man at Topps Bar and Grill on Douglas Boulevard on April 4.

The quote describes an investigation by the Douglasville Police Department in Georgia regarding a bar fight that occurred on April 4 at Topps Bar & Grill on Douglas Boulevard.

Douglas County Sentinel
Case Details

• The Arrests: On May 20, 2026, police arrested Jeffrey Keith Freeman (43) of Douglasville and Jorge Luis Delgado Perez (38). Both are alleged members of the Vagos Motorcycle Club.

• The Charges: Both men face charges of affray, disorderly conduct, and two counts of participating in criminal gang activity.
• Seized Property: During the investigation, law enforcement confiscated three Harley-Davidson motorcycles, numerous assault rifles, gang clothing, and motorcycle accessories.

• Current Status: As of May 21, 2026, Freeman is being held without bond, while Delgado Perez was released on a $10,000 bond. Douglasville Police Chief Gary Sparks stated that more arrests are expected as the investigation continues.
Douglas County Sentinel

Would you like more information on the Vagos Motorcycle Club’s history or details regarding the court proceedings for this specific case?

Ninth Circuit weighs gun owner’s fight against California county for denying gun permit over motorcycle club membership

By Jack Birle May 21, 2026 1

Ninth Circuit weighs gun owner’s fight against California county for denying gun permit over motorcycle club membership

A California gun owner asked a federal appeals court on Wednesday to allow his lawsuit challenging San Diego County’s “dangerousness” standard for concealed carry permits, after he was denied a gun permit over his membership in a motorcycle club.

A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit heard arguments in a lawsuit brought by Kenneth Shilling against San Diego County for revoking his concealed carry weapon permit over his affiliation with the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. Shilling argued that the decision violated his First Amendment right of freedom of association and his Second Amendment right to bear arms. A federal district court tossed his case, finding that the sheriff was immune from the lawsuit, among other issues, but Shilling’s lawyer, Gary Gorski, urged the appeals court to revive the case and side with him.

At the center of Shilling’s dispute is San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez’s “internal, unpublished policy” labeling the motorcycle club as a “criminal street gang” and therefore labeling Shilling as dangerous and unsuitable to have a concealed carry permit. Gorski outlined to the judges how the policy harmed both Shilling’s free association and his gun rights, and that, despite Shilling finally receiving a permit last month, his lawsuit should remain alive.

The Supreme Court’s 2022 New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen decision struck down New York’s requirement that applicants demonstrate they have “proper cause” to receive a concealed carry permit. After the Bruen decision, California repealed its “good moral character” standard for issuing concealed carry permits in 2024, instead only barring disqualified persons under “defined and objective criteria” from obtaining permits. Despite the process being streamlined in recent years, denials and long waits have still plagued citizens seeking concealed carry permits.

In the Golden State, as in most states, county sheriffs handle the processing of concealed carry permits, with different sheriffs having different policies in place.

Grim Reapers Motorcycle Club Mourn Loss Of Ron ‘Click’ Shaw

GAGE VOTA May 22, 2026 The Intelligencer
https://www.theintelligencer.net/news/community/2026/05/grim-reapers-motorcycle-club-mourn-loss-of-ron-click-shaw/

MARTINS FERRY — The Ohio State Highway Patrol has released a statement informing the public that Grim Reaper Motorcycle Club member Ron “Click” Shaw died Wednesday after being severely injured in a motorcycle accident on Ohio 7 Saturday evening.

Shaw was on a club ride with his wife, Melinda Shaw. Both were flown by medical helicopter to UPMC in Pittsburgh, where Melinda Shaw reportedly remains in stable condition.

The release confirmed the accident was caused by a rear tire blowout that led to the motorcycle overturning. It also confirmed neither Ron nor Melinda Shaw was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

fter word spread about the accident, Bethanie Clark organized a fundraiser to help the family cover medical expenses.
She said despite the devastating news, plans remain in place for the June 7 pancake breakfast scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Route 40 LumberJax.

Clark said the funds will still go toward Melinda Shaw’s medical costs and also will help with funeral arrangements for Ron Shaw.

“Nothing has really changed other than the proceeds are needed for funeral costs and stuff as well. We don’t really know at this time what his wishes are but we’re just trying to drum this up as big as we can to alleviate that stress for the family,” Clark said. “We’re really trying to rally together and make sure that her and the kids are totally supported and that they don’t have to worry about this kind of stuff while they’re dealing with everything else and trying to start the mourning process and everything.”

Ron and Melinda Shaw have five children: Andrew, Matt, Mike, Mikayla and Breanna.

Clark added that Melinda Shaw appears to be making progress, but it remains a waiting game to see what her recovery process will look like.
“It’s going to be a long journey ahead for her, which we expected,” Clark said.

The fundraiser will feature a pancake breakfast including two pancakes and a choice of two sausage links or two pieces of bacon. Chinese auctions and a 50/50 raffle also will be held. Meals will cost $20 per person or $35 per couple.

To help pay for supplies for the fundraiser, Clark posted her Venmo and Cash App accounts on social media seeking donations. Clark’s Venmo account is @BClark134 with the last four-digit security code 5260. Her Cash App account is $Clark0134. She added anyone interested in donating cash or checks can contact her at 740-359-5260.

Clark also thanked Route 40 LumberJax owner Doug Longenette, who offered his space to host the event less than 24 hours after the fundraiser was announced. She said the event originally was planned for the Shadyside Club House, but because of the extensive community support, organizers decided a larger venue was needed.

Former motorcycle club member sentenced for Kansas City-area assaults

By Natalie Dattilio KCTV5 May 20, 2026
https://www.kctv5.com/2026/05/20/former-motorcycle-club-member-sentenced-kansas-city-area-assaults/

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club will spend more than nine years in federal prison for two separate assaults involving rival motorcycle club members in the Kansas City metro.

Federal prosecutors say Mark A. Cottman, also known as “One Shot,” 51, of Kansas City, Missouri, was sentenced to 110 months in prison without parole. He was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering.

The first assault happened Sept. 17, 2022, when prosecutors say Cottman and 12 other members of the Pagan’s and their support club, the Los Valerosos, chased a lone rival gang member and forced him off the road in Blue Springs, Missouri. Authorities say members of the group were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. The victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and the back of his leg. Prosecutors say Cottman was a Pagan’s prospect at the time and later received his patch.

A second assault occurred July 20, 2023, at a bar and grill in North Kansas City, according to court documents. Prosecutors say Cottman and two other Pagan’s members attacked a lone rival motorcycle club member after telling him they were there to shut his club down. The victim told law enforcement he was stomped, kicked and punched, with some attackers wearing steel-toed boots, and suffered a head contusion, rib fracture, hemothorax, pulmonary contusion, collapsed lung and traumatic brain injury, officials said. The group fled before police arrived.
Court documents show Pagan’s maintains chapters in numerous states, including Missouri and Kansas.

Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.

Pagan biker gang member accused of starting Wawa parking lot shootout with rival gang found not guilty

2 co-defendants acquitted on aggravated assault charges, found guilty of lesser offenses

Jim Melwert kywnews radio May20.2026
https://www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio/news/local/pagan-montco-shootout-verdict-not-guilty

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — One member of the Pagan Motorcycle Club who was accused of sparking a shootout with a rival gang in a West Norriton Wawa parking lot has been found not guilty.

Two others were cleared of the most serious charges and convicted on lesser counts.

Prosecutors alleged George Cwienk, Justin Noll and Joel Hernandez-Martinez were in a pack of nine Pagan Motorcycle Club bikers that attacked two Unknown bikers at the Wawa on Main Street and Trooper Road on Oct. 17.

When the two Unknowns were knocked to the ground, they fired more than a dozen shots, with six people injured including two bystanders unaffiliated with the bikers. Prosecutors determined the Unknowns fired in self-defense and charged the Pagans.

Montgomery County Judge Risa Ferman found Noll not guilty of all charges.

“I’m pleased that Judge Furman saw through the commonwealth’s case. It was weak,” said Noll’s lawyer, Robert Kerwin. “Justin deserved to be found not guilty, because he was not guilty.”

Meanwhile, Cwienk and Hernandez-Martinez were found guilty of a handful of misdemeanors and one lower felony, but not guilty on the most serious felony charges of aggravated assault.

Prosecutors alleged the Pagans attacked the Unknowns over a turf war, but prosecutor Bradley Deckel called it a challenging case as the two Unknowns were forced to testify but were unwilling to answer questions in any detail.

“It’s part of their culture to just not talk to police and not discuss these types of things, so that was a challenge that was part of the case,” Deckel said.

“They were never going to say what actually happened that night with regards to not being allowed to be in that area, because they don’t believe in cooperating with law enforcement

Officers warn organized crime remains a strong presence in NJ

The mob’s still around, but today’s organized crime looks more like street gangs and outlaw motorcycle clubs

By:Dana DiFilippo-May 20, 2026
https://newjerseymonitor.com/2026/05/20/organized-crime-presence-in-nj/

Organized crime continues to thrive in New Jersey even though shootings and other major crimes are down, with neighborhood-based street gangs, drug traffickers, outlaw motorcycle clubs, and prison and jail gangs now typically more numerous and active than the mob, law enforcement officials said at a public hearing Tuesday in Trenton.

More than a dozen agents and investigators testified at the Statehouse for three hours before the State Commission of Investigation about how organized crime has evolved in the Garden State in recent years.

Mafia groups like La Cosa Nostra are still active with families based in Elizabeth (DeCavalcante), Philadelphia (Bruno-Scarfo), and New York City (Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno, Colombo, and Gambino) operating in New Jersey, but they no longer define organized crime here, said Bruce P. Keller, the commission’s executive director.

Individual criminals have found it can be more rewarding to work as part of a team to successfully pull off illegal money-making schemes like gambling, loansharking, extortion, sex and labor trafficking, and fraud, he added.

Social media and technology advances have helped street gangs and other structured criminal groups both expand their ranks and carry out crimes like credit card theft, identity theft, phishing, and witness intimidation, Keller and others who testified said.
“Just as the generation of children raised in recent years have become known as digital natives, so too have organized criminal gangs become digitally sophisticated,” Keller said.

Organized crime groups also increasingly use modern digital conveniences like Venmo and Paypal — or personal tablets for those behind bars — to facilitate their crimes, law enforcement officers testified. That’s been an especially lucrative strategy for crafty car thieves, who use sites like Google’s Street View to scope out potential targets, said Sgt. Sean Lake of the Newark Police Department’s gang intelligence unit.

“They use applications such as Zillow, and they look up where the million-dollar houses are. Then they’ve gone on Google Maps, and literally they could walk down the street on Google Maps and see what cars were parked in the driveway over the last few months,” Lake said.

Those who gave testimony identified several recent trends that have kept investigators scrambling to keep up.
The number of outlaw motorcycle gangs in New Jersey has doubled in the past decade, with about 16 today compared to eight or so identified in 2018, according to testimony.

Officials estimate 15 to 16 outlaw motorcycle clubs now are active in New Jersey, twice as many as a decade ago. (Courtesy of the State Commission of Investigation)

County jails and state prisons have increasingly become places where gangs actively recruit new members, said Edwin Torres, a senior criminal intelligence officer at the commission. While staff at many facilities work hard to identify and thwart gang activity, most facilities have far fewer correctional officers than gang members, making the fight against such activity a losing “numbers game,” he added.

“It is absolutely a monumental problem in the correctional system,” Torres said. “It’s almost like a Whack-a-Mole — you keep trying to pat down one problem and another one will pop up.”

Morris County Sheriff James Gannon told commission members that about 15% of people incarcerated at the Morris County Jail, which also holds people from Sussex and Somerset counties, has a gang affiliation.

Gangs that used to be bitter rivals now increasingly work together to achieve their illicit ends, and those who join are getting younger and younger, officers testified.

Lt. Nicole Bradley of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office’s gang intelligence unit testified that her office arrested a 14-year-old girl for murder last year.

“These kids come off into the gangs at 12, 13, 14, 15 years old,” added Edwin Santana of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s gang intelligence unit. “They didn’t have any sort of guidance or safety, but they found it in the gang, unfortunately.”

Investigators also warned organized crime groups probably are working now to capitalize on FIFA’s World Cup, the five-week, global men’s soccer tournament that will play eight matches starting next month in East Rutherford.

Martha Nye of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office said officials expect schemes will include counterfeit merchandising, sex and labor trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering, illegal drug trafficking, cyber fraud, and coordinated theft efforts.

“Major international sporting events attract not only millions of fans and billions of dollars in commerce but also organized criminal networks looking to exploit enormous crowds, global attention, and the rapid flow of money,” said Nye, deputy first assistant attorney general.

Those who testified suggested several solutions policymakers should embrace to crack down on organized crime.

Torres pointed to two bills now in the Statehouse pipeline that would make participation in a street gang a crime and heighten penalties for anyone who recruits people into gangs.

Edwin Torres, a senior criminal intelligence officer with the State Commission of Investigation, speaks during a public hearing on organized crime in New Jersey the commission held on May 19, 2026, at the Statehouse in Trenton. (Photo by Dana DiFilippo/New Jersey Monitor)

Gannon called on policymakers to review bail reform to make sure repeat offenders aren’t slipping through the cracks and the system takes a more “balanced approach” to pretrial detention.

“We must ensure that risk assessments are accurate and consistently applied, repeat offenders are appropriately addressed, and violent offenders are not released when they pose a clear threat. Public safety must remain a top priority,” Gannon said.

Tracking repeat offenders would be easier if police, prosecutors, parole officials, and others partnered more on investigations and did more information-sharing, said John Havens, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Many times, a significant gang member or highly violent gang member will be arrested, and — say it’s a stolen vehicle charge or something like that — you then progress through the system, and the case goes to prosecutors that may not know exactly who they’re dealing with,” Havens said. “It’s getting lost in the noise, the significance of who this person is and what they do.”

Others urged state and local policymakers to expand staff and intelligence-gathering in prisons and jails to thwart gang recruitment and activity and prosecutors to undertake more racketeering investigations and prosecutions aimed at taking down organized crime bosses.

The hearing was the commission’s first since April 2024, when it heard testimony about ghost guns and repeat gun offenders.

The agency, which probes public corruption and organized crime among other things, made headlines last fall when Senate President Nicholas Scutari proposed partially merging the state Comptroller’s Office into the commission. Critics saw the move as an attempt to weaken government oversight and kneecap the comptroller, which has in recent years taken on far more investigations than the commission.
Keller took the helm at the commission last July. Its previous director resigned after the Asbury Park Press reported she had a second full-time out-of-state job.

In his opening statements during Tuesday’s hearing, Keller tapdanced around those controversies, ticking off a list of the commission’s recent doings and promising big things ahead.

“SCI continues to focus on exactly what the Legislature intended at the time of its creation — independent investigations dedicated to rooting out corruption and other corrosive problems in all of their forms,” Keller said.

Tuesday’s hearing largely focused on gangs and other organized crime activity in Paterson, Newark, Jersey City, and other parts of North Jersey. The commission plans another public hearing this fall on organized crime in South Jersey.

2 more members of Thug Riders learn punishments for organized crime

By John Tisdell, WHIO.com May 20, 2026
https://www.whio.com/news/local/2-more-members-thug-riders-learn-punishments-organized-crime/6LBVSH6KPRFWHODL4UC5TNR6QE/

DAYTON — Two more members of the Thug Riders have learned their punishments for organized crime.

Norman Dale Beach, aka “Stormin Normin,” was sentenced to eight months in prison and three years probation on May 4, according to federal court records.

He was the former Vice President for the Thug Riders.

Brent Egleston, also known as “B-Easy,” was sentenced to five years probation on May 13, federal court records stated.
He was a president of the Thug Riders.

Beach and Egleston were two of 14 members of the Thug Riders motorcycle gang arrested in 2024 as part of a federal organized crime investigation.

At least eight other members of the Thug Riders have learned their punishment for their roles.
News Center 7 will continue to follow this story.

Bikers in rival gang testify to being assaulted on parking lot of Wawa in West Norriton

CARL HESSLER JR. | chessler@pottsmerc.com | MediaNews Group
PUBLISHED: May 19, 2026 at 1:40 PM EDT

NORRISTOWN — Two members of the Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Gang, who prosecutors allege were assaulted by members of the rival Pagans Outlaw Motorcycle Gang on the parking lot of the Wawa in West Norriton Township, were reluctant to testify against their accused attackers.

David Zimmerman, who suffered gunshot wounds to the arm and leg during the 9:12 p.m. Oct. 17, 2025, altercation, and Robert Statzell, who was physically assaulted, invoked their Fifth Amendment rights to remain silent and privileges against self-incrimination when they were called to testify in Montgomery County Court at the trial of George T. Cwienk III, Joel “Chihuahua” Hernandez-Martinez and Justin “Junkyard” Ray Noll, three Pagans members charged with assaulting them.

Zimmerman and Statzell admitted to prosecutors they did not want to be in court.

Prosecutors then requested that Zimmerman and Statzell be granted immunity on the grounds that their testimony was necessary to the public interest. Judge Risa Vetri Ferman granted immunity to both men, instructing them they may not refuse to testify but that none of their testimony can be used against them at a later date.

Zimmerman and Statzell then proceeded to answer questions posed to them by prosecutors.

Zimmerman repeatedly claimed he couldn’t recall a lot of the incident, maintaining he was suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
But Assistant District Attorney Bradley Walter Deckel painstakingly reviewed with Zimmerman the testimony he gave before a grand jury last December during which he recalled the incident. Portions of Zimmerman’s grand jury testimony were read in court.

“If I testified to it,” said Zimmerman, not discounting what he told the grand jury. “I was there for gas. I was getting gas.”
Zimmerman testified to the grand jury that he was pumping gas when he was suddenly surrounded by several people who assaulted him and forced him to the ground. Zimmerman agreed with Deckel that during his grand jury testimony he said, “I just went on autopilot fighting for my life. I didn’t know what was going on.”

Zimmerman testified that he didn’t recall discharging a firearm that he “probably” was carrying that night and that he couldn’t identify who assaulted him.

Zimmerman repeatedly clashed with defense lawyers as they cross-examined him.

When defense lawyer Robert J. Kirwan II, who represents Noll, expressed doubt that Zimmerman suffered from PTSD, Zimmerman responded, “I don’t think you know how PTSD works” and added, “Do you want to be my therapist?”

When Kirwan confronted Zimmerman with defense lawyers’ theory that the altercation occurred when Pagans members saw Zimmerman reaching for his gun and they attempted to disarm him, Zimmerman defiantly responded, “Where did you come up with this? That’s not what happened.”

Zimmerman and Cwienk appeared to lock eyes several times during the trial and defense lawyers accused Zimmerman of making facial expressions and hand gestures at the defendants.

Ferman instructed Zimmerman to look only at the lawyers as he testified.

After being granted immunity, Statzell testified he was pumping gas when he suddenly realized he was surrounded by a group of other motorcyclists, but claimed he couldn’t identify them.

“I was surrounded. There was multiple people. I had nowhere else to go. I was struck and then I pulled out my firearm,” Statzell testified, adding he also was shot at.

“Is that why you felt your life was in danger?” Assistant District Attorney Libby Ann Hemler asked Statzell.
“Correct,” Statzell replied.

Statzell testified he did nothing to provoke the incident.

When Kirwan questioned whether Statzell believed he was justified in brandishing and firing a gun, Statzell responded, “I’m going to keep repeating it the same way, I was struck.”

“The detectives reviewed the tape and I was cleared in self-defense,” Statzell addressed Kirwan, referring to video surveillance footage from the Wawa. “I was firing with intent to defend myself because I was in fear for my life.

“It was a traumatic experience. It was extremely traumatic,” Statzell added.

Zimmerman and Statzell, who did not appear to be rattled by questions from the defense lawyers, were not charged in connection with the incident.

Cwienk, 51, of the unit block of 7th Street, Bridgeport, Hernandez-Martinez, 36, of the 300 block of West Sixth Street, Bridgeport, and Noll, 34, of the 600 block of Memorial Highway, Fleetwood, Berks County, each face charges of aggravated and simple assault, recklessly endangering other persons and riot in connection with the Oct 17 confrontation with Zimmerman and Statzell on the parking lot of the Wawa at 2544 W. Main St. in West Norriton.

In addition to Zimmerman, Cwienk, Noll and Hernandez-Martinez suffered gunshot wounds during the incident.

Two innocent bystanders on the parking lot also were wounded during the gunfire. A female Wawa employee on a “smoke break” outside suffered a gunshot wound to the back and a man was shot in the face just below his eye while he was putting air in his vehicle’s tire.

Cwienk, Noll and Hernandez-Martinez waived jury trials on Monday and instead have left their fates up to Ferman, who will listen to testimony and render verdicts.

A total of nine Pagans members originally were charged in connection with the incident.

Four club members previously pleaded guilty to assault or conspiracy-related charges and avoided a trial.

Earlier this year, Ferman dismissed charges against two other Pagans members.

Deckel and Hemler alleged the Pagans, a dominant club in Pennsylvania, felt disrespected when the Unknown Bikers hadn’t requested permission to be in the Pagans’ territory.

But Zimmerman and Statzell each testified they were unaware of any prohibition to riding while wearing their so-called club “colors” in Montgomery County because it was Pagans territory. The Unknown Bikers testified they did not have any previous problems with members of the Pagans and knew of no friction between the clubs.

“We ride where we want,” Statzell testified

Deckel and Hemler alleged none of the victims would have suffered gunshot wounds if the Pagans had not entered the Wawa parking lot and initiated an attack on a rival motorcycle gang.

Testimony revealed that 13 of the 14 fired cartridge casings found at the scene were fired from guns linked to the two members of the Unknown Bikers.

When Kirwin asked Statzell if he was concerned that civilians were wounded Statzell replied, “Of course I would feel sorry for any innocent person who got hurt.”

Prosecutors contend Zimmerman and Statzell acted in self-defense.

But Kirwan and defense lawyers Carlos A. Martir Jr., who represents Cwienk, and Finn L. Skovdal who represents Hernandez-Martinez, argued the Unknown Bikers were the “aggressors” and are not victims. The defense lawyers have repeatedly questioned why the Unknown Bikers were not charged.

Defense lawyers argued the evidence will show that Cwienk and the other Pagans were at the Wawa to simply get gas and that it was the Unknown Bikers who created the “havoc.”

The investigation determined that two members of the Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Gang arrived at the Wawa about 9:08 p.m. and were pumping gas when they were confronted by multiple members of the Pagans.

“Through review of various video sources, the Pagans bypassed the initial entrance to the Wawa and then entered a secondary entrance and immediately worked in tandem surrounding the two members of the Unknown Bikers Gang,” county Detective David Holtzman and West Norriton Detective Robert Scotti alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding “the collective nature of their movements was not to intimidate but to overpower the rival group.”

Detectives said the Wawa parking lot was a busy location with a steady flow of customer traffic.

“Law enforcement reviewed various video angles and identified approximately 23 individuals placed at risk of death or serious bodily injury. This danger was instigated by the actions of the Pagans,” Holtzman and Scotti alleged. “The collective manner in which the Pagans entered the parking lot, positioned themselves and promptly started attacking the other individuals revealed a conscious disregard for the safety of employees, patrons of Wawa and their rivals.”

The investigation was conducted by members of the Montgomery County Detective Bureau’s Violent Crime Unit, the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Gun Violence Reduction Task Force, Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General’s Gun Violence Task Force and police from West Norriton, Upper Merion, Norristown and Bridgeport.