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Category: Current Events

Taken Wednesday on Main Street in Sturgis by AP Staff

NEW: Many biker gang members armed -- legally
By JOE KAFKA, Associated Press Writer

PIERRE [our state capital] -- It would have been an unusual traffic stop any other time of year in South Dakota, but stopping several armed members of the Outlaws biker gang Thursday evening was not peculiar, a law officer said Friday. That's because of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

Motorcycle gang members carrying concealed handguns are stopped daily during the event that draws throngs of bikers and others to the Black Hills each August, said Capt. Kevin Joffer, district commander of the Highway Patrol at Sioux Falls.

"We tell the media not to sensationalize this because this is not out of the ordinary," he said. "Please don't get people excited because this is going on every day at the rally where law enforcement's encountering these gangs.

"Is it out of the ordinary from what we normally encounter throughout the year in South Dakota? Yes, it is. But the rally is different. Officers stop some of these motorcycle gang members, and there are several of them that do carry weapons."

Nearly all those stopped have the necessary permits that allow them to carry hidden handguns, Joffer added.

Statistics so far during rally week, which began Monday, seem to bear that out. Although several hundred thousand bikers have converged on Sturgis, just 11 people have been arrested for concealed weapons violations, said Capt. Randy Hartley, Highway Patrol district commander at Rapid City.

In exchange for the same consideration, South Dakota honors concealed weapons permits with 16 states: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

Joffer said a state trooper stopped 10 or so Outlaws motorcycle gang members Thursday night on Interstate 90 near Plankinton because of traffic violations. Backup officers were called only because of the large number of vehicles that were stopped, Joffer said.

"One of my sergeants discovered very early on that they were heavily armed, which means probably everybody was armed. There were no problems. They were all polite to him. He did call for some additional backup just to have there because he had multiple people stopped."

Joffer said some of the Outlaws were given traffic tickets, but all of the bikers had permits to carry concealed weapons and they were allowed to continue their trip to Sturgis.

The Highway Patrol official acknowledged that special attention is being paid to motorcycle gangs since a shooting spree Tuesday in Custer State Park between members of two gangs. Authorities have arrested two men affiliated with the Hells Angels for opening fire on several Outlaws at Legion Lake Resort; five Outlaws were struck by bullets and one of them suffered an undisclosed injury.

Since the gunfight, authorities have said they would not be surprised by reprisals. But they added that retaliation may not come during the rally and is likely to pop up anywhere in the country. Both the Outlaws and Hells Angels are reported to have more than 2,000 members in several states.

"We're all kind of nervous," Joffer said. "You wonder if maybe something else will come out of this, which potentially could happen."

South Dakota law allows people with permits to carry concealed weapons nearly everywhere except bars, courthouses and the Capitol. Violators face up to one year in jail and $2,000 fines.

Those who carry hidden handguns must have their permits in possession.

People do not need permits to carry concealed weapons on their own property or property they rent.
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Where's Bill Harlan? On his way to the last concert at Buffalo Chip. He called in and this appeared on his blog:

"SD National Guard on traffic patrol...
Bill Harlan @ 9:18 pm to Denise Scott
" … apparently. Bill Harlan just called (9 p.m. Friday) from Interstate 90, en route to the night’s Buffalo Chip concerts to, um, work. Yeah, work. And he says to me, somewhere around Tilford, 'Hey, National Guard guys stopping traffic, walking on the shoulder in full camouflage.' (Or something really close to that.)

"Bill said he couldn’t take a picture. Something about a lot of traffic and highway speeds. Then he turned off onto the cutoff road that gets you to the Chip, and he saw what he assumes are federal agents (it’s BLM land) stopping folks — a lot of folks for the slightest of infractions, something he’s witnessed at other times during the 2006 rally.

"So, whaddya think folks, does this constitute a stepped up law enforcement presence, or have the cops always done this during the rally? "
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Um, yeah Denise, it does.

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