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April 02. 2006 6:59AM
Dozens of squad cars respond to melee
Police say only two injured, none arrested.
JEFF PARROTT
Tribune Staff Writer
Area police broke up a large fight Saturday between rival motorcycle gangs at the St. Joseph County 4-H Fairgrounds.
Dozens of people, some wielding weapons, were involved in the melee that erupted shortly after noon, police said. The bikers, including those wearing "Outlaw" and "Hells Angels" gang jackets from Chicago, Detroit and Indianapolis, were attending a motorcycle swap meet.
More than 30 police cars from South Bend, St. Joseph County and Mishawaka responded to the scene. Two bikers suffered injuries that required medical attention but were not life-threatening, said St. Joseph County police spokeswoman Jaimee Thirion.
A county officer, Cpl. Kent Wickham, suffered minor injuries in a traffic accident on his way to the fairgrounds, Thirion said.
After bringing the disturbance under control, police canceled the remainder of the event and ordered those attending to leave.
No arrests were made, police said.
Dan Hardman, who with his wife had set up a booth to sell parts, described a chaotic scene.
"They were using bats, (motorcycle) forks, hammers on each other, with no regard for anyone around them, even children," said Hardman, who saw an 8-month-old child in the booth next to his.
Hardman, a member of a Christian biker ministry called Bikers at the Crossing, said most of the time, biking is a peaceful "family thing."
This turned out to be anything but. He said a police account that only two people were injured was "baloney."
"They were using fenders on top of heads, it was horrible," he said.
Witness Bob Candler, of Niles, agreed.
"It was pretty ugly," said Candler. "I seen a guy getting hit in the head with a hammer, he kept waling on him."
Hardman voiced sharp criticism for the security at the event and its promoters, Paragon Promotions of Portage, Mich.
"You don't allow colors to mix," Hardman said, referring to the fact that rival gang members were allowed to wear their gang symbols. "There should have been a lot more security. There were two (security guards), and they ran like girls."
Paragon Promotions officials did not return a call seeking comment Saturday.
An employee of Freedom Cycle Inc., 6210 U.S. 31 South, who declined to give his name, said the Michiana area has long been the "turf" of three gangs: the Hells Angels, Iron Cats and Devils Diciples. The gangs might have considered it poor "etiquette" when the Outlaws showed up without having first cleared it with the gangs.
"It was the Angels and the Outlaws in the same place, period. That's all you need to know," said the employee, who did not attend the event but heard about it from people who did. "It's a club mentality, like one baseball team against another, or just like two high schools. There's been an ongoing dispute between the two clubs forever."
Candler said the Outlaws should have been arrested. He found it odd that so many, at least 75, would come all the way from Indianapolis just for a small swap meet.
"They were not there for a good time," Candler said. "I think they were there looking for trouble."
Dan Brouillette, of Goshen, said he arrived shortly after police and was never allowed in. He had hoped to trade a motorcycle for some parts.
He arrived to see men attempting to leave the fairgrounds on their motorcycles, only to be detained by police officers pointing shotguns at them, Brouillete said.
"The next thing I know it's a giant episode of 'Cops,' " he said. "It's the most excitement I've seen in a long time, so I'm glad I came out."
But Candler was less flippant.
"It was sickening," he said, recalling how a young woman turned to him and his girlfriend as the fighting broke out. "She was pretty frightened. She said, 'Don't leave me.' "
Staff writer Jeff Parrott: jparrott@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6320
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A man is led away by South Bend Police and St. Joseph County sheriff's deputies after an altercation at a motorcycle swap meet at the St. Joseph County fairgrounds Saturday.
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Tribune Photo/MARCUS MARTER
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