BIKER NEWS: Biker Rally Seeks to Derail Swanton Sheriff Campaign

BIKER NEWS -- ELM MOTT -- The Sons of Liberty Riders RC and other Bikers rented out the American Legion Post in Elm Mott Sunday to hold a "Sink Swanton" rally. It is the third time that the riding club has held a protest against Waco P-D and McLennan County over the arrest and prosecution of bikers after the Twin Peaks shooting in May. 

This time however speakers took aim specifically at Sgt. Patrick Swanton, the spokesman for the Waco Police Department. Swanton is running for McLennan County Sheriff and the group says they do now want him elected because -- according to speakers at the rally -- his misrepresentation of bikers as gang members have contributed to a wave of discrimination against riders everywhere. 

"Swanton has been the spokesman and has been outspoken about the biker community to the nation," Sons of Liberty RC VP Mel Robins said. "The subsequent reverberations from that have been a marked increase across the country of harassment from local police departments." 

But Swanton does not believe the rally will hurt his campaign. He spoke with us today -- as a candidate and not a police official -- and said he always presents the truth. 

"I can't help that individuals that were involved in the particular incident in our community, were members of known motorcycle gangs," Patrick Swanton said. "That's what they are and that's what they were called that day." 

Tuesday, a 12-person grand jury indicted 106 bikers with charges of engaging in organized criminal activity. The grand jury still has to consider another 80 cases.

This article was first published on  Nov 16, 2015 6:48 AM

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