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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Members of the Waco Police Department, the McLennan |
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County Sheriff's Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and |
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other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies responded |
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swiftly and forcefully to a violent melee in Waco on May 17, 2015, |
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that left 9 people dead, 18 injured, and 170 under arrest; and |
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WHEREAS, On that Sunday afternoon, five rival motorcycle |
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clubs took part in a meeting at a sports bar near Interstate 35, and |
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the tensions between the groups soon led to a violent altercation |
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that resulted in open combat with chains and knives and culminated |
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in a wild exchange of gunfire; and |
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WHEREAS, More than 10 days before the incident, the Criminal |
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Investigation Division and the gang investigator of the Waco PD |
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became aware of the danger posed by this upcoming meeting of the |
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organizations, and they began to prepare their response, planning |
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to be present at the event to gather intelligence and to act if |
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necessary; and |
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WHEREAS, By noon of May 17, units from DPS and Waco PD were on |
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hand at the sports bar; when the first shots were fired by 12:25 |
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p.m., troopers and police officers responded swiftly, and despite |
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the chaos of the situation, they managed to secure the scene by 1:25 |
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p.m.; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the next 12 hours, law enforcement officers |
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from agencies all over Central Texas, as well as federal agents, |
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arrived to assist in the massive effort to tend to those wounded and |
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killed, take statements from the hundreds of suspects and |
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witnesses, and gather the huge amount of evidence present at the |
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scene; and |
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WHEREAS, This enormous, cross-jurisdictional effort was |
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coordinated by Waco Police Chief Brent Stroman and McLennan County |
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Sheriff Parnell McNamara, with Waco PD Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton |
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serving as press spokesperson; along with the Waco PD and DPS, the |
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law enforcement agencies and personnel that participated included |
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the Texas Rangers, the McLennan County Sheriff's Office, the |
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McLennan County Constables Office, McLennan County correctional |
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officers, the FBI, the DEA, and the police departments of Austin, |
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Robinson, Hewitt, Woodway, Lorena, and West; and |
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WHEREAS, The foresight, careful planning, and swift action by |
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officers of the Waco PD and DPS, as well as the vital assistance of |
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many other local, state, and federal agencies, prevented the |
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shocking events of May 17 from resulting in an even greater tragedy, |
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and the citizens of Waco and Central Texas owe a debt of gratitude |
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to these courageous men and women for their expertise in quickly |
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putting a stop to the violence; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commend all those law enforcement professionals |
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who responded to the incident in Waco on May 17, 2015, and extend to |
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the officers and agents sincere appreciation for a job well done; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the agencies involved as an expression of high regard |
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by the Texas House of Representatives. |