Sequestration Effects The 2013 Sturgis Rally

Semi-Truck Fire closes I-90 at Sturgis Rally – 2010

At the 2012 Sturgis Rally attendance was up 7% (official est. at 450K) and in all, the city of Sturgis spent approximately $960K to host the 6-day event which generated nearly $1.4M in revenue.  Nearly $400K profit for the city which has more than double the net profit from the 2011 rally at $197K.  There were 1,012 vendors registered vs. 976 in 2011 and gross sales by vendors were $13.1M compared to $12.6M in 2011.

And the man who made Sturgis?  There are several who come to mind, but one near the top of the list would be Steven Piehl, the Harley executive who invented the Harley Owners Group (HOG).  In 1983, Mr. Piehl worked under Harley’s General Sales Manager, Clyde Fessler, and was given 3 months to launch the program.  They promoted the rally to hundreds of thousands of HOG members and is at least in part responsible for the transformation of Sturgis from a biker party into a profit center.  Mr. Piehl was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame last year and received the JC “Pappy” Hoel Outstanding Achievement Award for establishing HOG.

Motoring USA is the consultant group that essentially coordinates the Sturgis rally for the city as they help line-up sponsors (Harley-Davidson, Dodge, Jack Daniels, Geico etc.), vendors and publish the official rally magazine.  For their 2012 services they were paid more than $308K ($163K commissions/fees and $145K to publish the official guide).  Ironically, the city of Sturgis paid the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Inc., $26,944 in licensing fees to use the “Sturgis” name!  Clearly corporate America has found the motorcyclist market and made the profit driven transformation.

Main Street Sturgis at Dusk

Those are a few of the financial aspects of the motorcycle rally.  Sadly, 9 people died at last year’s rally-related accidents and collisions.  In 2011 there were 4 deaths.  And you might have been one of the unlucky riders trapped on the freeway in 2010 after a semi-trailer caught fire (video HERE) and closed the interstate (see above photo)?

It’s also well known that at the Sturgis Rally large numbers of law enforcement descend on the area to make sure those 450,000+ bikers don’t get out of hand.  On any typical week the city has 15 officers to keep the community of 6700 safe.  During rally week it pays a hefty amount for law enforcement hiring people from nine different states.  The city police budget in August is estimated to be in excess of $300K to cover salaries, equipment and other expenses for the event.  Visiting officers are housed and receive two meals a day.  In addition, there are also significant numbers of federal agents (FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, the National Guard, the Bureau of Land Management and even the National Forest Service) on hand.

Loud American Roadhouse (L)

However, budget cuts known as sequestration have stalled the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives attendance and for 2013 there will be fewer federal agents available to keep an eye on things for the first time in 10 years.  The value of announcing this information to the public prior to the rally is interesting.  Is it to alarm the public?  Is it an open invitation for the motorcycle clubs to restart some of the “wild times” prevalent in years past?  Historically, more than 20 ATF agents patrol Sturgis during the Rally.  This year there will one agent in Rapid City who will be on call when the rally officially starts on August 5th.

Remember the 2006 rally shootout between the Outlaws and Hells Angels at Custer?  How about back in 2008 when Sturgis ended with the first shooting in over 20-years where the Iron Pigs (off-duty Seattle LEO – Ronald Smith) had a confrontation with the Hell’s Angels (Joseph McGuire) at the Loud American Roadhouse?  Anytime there is a large gathering of people, there is a potential for an incident, but I would anticipate if any intelligence or threat hits the radar we’ll see it rain law enforcement personnel sequestration or not.

It wasn’t too long ago, the rough, anti-materialistic, anti-authoritarian attitudes showed up on motorcycles en-masse at Sturgis.  The motor company that helped put Sturgis on the map and was once so revered that men tattooed its name on their arms, is now more about demographics, international expansion in China and India and tapping female consumer spending.  For example, Claudia Garber, Harley’s Director of Women’s Marketing Outreach, worked the 2012 rally to convince affluent, professional women that Harleys are really fun to ride.

Yes, the transformation of Sturgis from a quaint biker party into an enormous profit center is fully complete.  Stay classy Sturgis!

Interstate photo courtesy of Renegade Wheels, other photos taken by author at 2012 Sturgis Rally.  The 2012 Sturgis stats are HERE (.pdf).

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Is Sturgis Going Stale

At The 70th Sturgis Rally

Can you feel it?  It’s in the air. The annual Sturgis celebration (Black Hills Motorcycle Rally) is in full force.

Every year, about this time I get a lot of hits on the blog from previous Sturgis articles I’ve written.  Especially the 2008 article about the first shooting in 20 years between the Iron Pigs and HAMC.

Last year I went to the 70th Rally (blogged it HERE) and raved about the music (except Dylan), the food, the rides and, of course, the people.  I took it all in, and enjoyed every minute of it. Was it my best Sturgis ever?  I don’t know what the future holds, but it was pretty good.

This year had all the makings of being a major contender, but reports of the legal action surrounding the Rally trademarks and who can sell (legally) t-shirts with the name “Sturgis” along with reports about the economy has put clouds over the event.  Some motorcyclists have suggested that the core H-D customer has gotten older, sold their motorcycles and become tired of the event.  Some veteran riders have complained the Sturgis rally has lost its outlaw edge, attracting too many bankers and lawyers with top-of-the-line $30K+ Harley-Davidsons and not enough old-fashioned hard-core bikers.

I won’t argue that the meaning and appeal of motorcycle rallies change as you get older, but I’m thinking it’s neither the economy, trademark disputes or aging demographics.  Maybe Sturgis has just got…. OLD?!

The event has largely remain unchanged for the last 10+ years.  There are some who look forward to the Sturgis routine. They are the same people who return to the same spot year after year. They take the same riding routes.  It never gets old.

However, there are no easy dollars anymore especially in this new economy and it makes me wonder if there is still a place for bloated, over-commercialized rallies?  Many would argue yes.

I won’t be immersing myself in all things Sturgis this year.  I elected to spend the time and $$ riding down Hwy 101 along the pacific coast range through the Redwoods and then over to the Sierra Nevada mountains and through Yosemite.  That’s why I’ve been off line for the past couple weeks.  It was time to ride, but I gave South Dakota a break.

How about you.  Why didn’t you attend the mother of all rallies this year?

UPDATED: August 11, 2011 – Another item which seems to remain consistent year-over-year at the rally are the stats.  The South Dakota Highway Patrol logged the following incidents during the Sturgis motorcycle rally as of 6 a.m. Thursday:

• DUI arrests: 151 (Sturgis 140, Rapid City 8, Southern Hills 2, Badlands 1)
• Misdemeanor drug arrests: 96 (Sturgis 69, Rapid City 17, Southern Hills 10)
• Felony drug arrests: 36 (Sturgis 19, Rapid City 13, Southern Hills 4)
• Other felony arrests 1 (Southern Hills)
• Total citations: 834 (Sturgis 503, Rapid City 176, Southern Hills 89, Badlands 66)
• Cash seized: $1,853 (Rapid City)
• Concealed weapons arrests: 6 (Sturgis)
• Vehicles seized: 5 (Sturgis 2, Rapid City 3)
• Injury accidents: 64 (Sturgis 33, Rapid City 14, Southern Hills 13, Badlands 4)
• Fatal accidents: 2 (Sturgis)

Photo taken at 70th Sturgis Rally

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Cash Is The Icing On Iron Pigs HR218 Cupcake

Can embarrassment and personal demons be squelched with money?

It would seem so and that $169,800 is all that’s needed!

I’m referring to the Iron Pigs MC member and Seattle police detective Ronald Smith.

It probably comes as no surprise that Smith, who as you may recall shot a member of the Hells Angels MC in Sturgis a couple years ago has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department.  The suit alleges the department disparaged him and negligently provided false information that led to his indictment on a perjury charge.

Disregard that all charges were dropped and why let any of the facts get in the way when Mr. Smith sees dollar signs.  The only thing missing in this little drama is an attorney to throw in the proverbial race card and get the ACLU marching.

I’ve blogged about this incident HERE, HERE and HERE as well as provided a number of updates.  A brief recap is during the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Smith, who was in Sturgis with members of the Iron Pigs, a motorcycle club composed of LEO’s and firefighters shot and wounded a Hells Angels MC member, Joseph Patrick McGuire, in self-defense during a fight in the Loud American Roadhouse on Aug. 9, 2008. Smith was charged in Meade County, S.D., Circuit Court with the felonies of aggravated assault and perjury. He also was charged with a misdemeanor count of carrying a concealed weapon without a permit.

Now comes the pain and suffering.  Mr. Smith claims he was “guilty until proven innocent,” shunned and neglected.  Huh?  The lawsuit contends his reputation was harmed by the criminal charges and that shortly after the incident, the Seattle Police Chief at the time, Gil Kerlikowske said during a public-relations event that Smith was an “embarrassment” to the department and would “not be working for him much longer.”

That working for him part was absolutely correct!   Shortly after Mr. Kerlikowske became the “drug czar” or the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy for Obama.  He is responsible for advising the president on drug control programs, and for coordinating drug policies among all federal agencies.

My point?  While the various bloggers have raged back and forth between supporters of the police to distrust of the police and the justice system…could someone, even the Seattle Police Chief please just apologize to Mr. Smith before he continues to take all of your hard earned tax dollars.

Photo courtesy Flickr and Iron Pigs MC.

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Babies, Bikers and Glam Rock

Dee Snider of Twisted Sister

Twisted Sister (“We’re Not Gonna Take It”) is an American heavy metal band known for delivering youth anthems, wearing outrageous clothes, gawdy make-up and having wild hairstyles during their performances.  One could debate that glam rock peaked in the mid-80s with MTV, yet the band has sold over 10M records and earned 35 gold and platinum records from 8 countries to date.

So, what does Twisted Sister’s front-man Dee Snider and his flamboyant costumes and the hedonistic pop/rock themes have to do with babies?  My first thought was, “This can’t be good,” but then I was contacted by Kimberly Gustafson, the Community Director (Southern Or.) for March of Dimes and it turns out that Dee is the National Bikers for Babies Spokesperson and has been a strong advocate for children!  As a father of two prematurely born children (Cody and Cheyenne) he knows first-hand about the difficulties and things that can go wrong.

The Bikers for Babies is an integral role for the non-profit March of Dimes in the advancement of their fund raising mission which helps “preemies” and prevents birth defects.  Last year 35K riders and 250 motorcycle clubs (including: HOG, American Gold Wing, ABATE, CMA, Iron Pigs and the Red & Blue Knights) joined together on rides across the U.S. to help raise money.  The Oregon – Bikers for Babies ride is set for August 29th with 3 start locations (Bend, Eugene & Salem) and all routes end at Hoodoo Mountain Resort (mile post 80 on Hwy 20) on Santiam Pass, OR.  Sponsors of the Oregon ride are Salem H-D, Doyles H-D (Eugene) and Cascade H-D (Bend).  This web site has registration information if want to participate.

In these economic trying times it seems that more organizations are asking for more donations, but giving is not only about money.  Giving is also doing something with your heart and time so if you have passion about health issues which effect premature babies then I encourage you to visit the web site and help your fellow bikers improve their situation.

Photos courtesy of Bikers for Babies and Vondutch Kustom Cycles site.

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Printed Paper Fades

Traditional media is dying in front of our very eyes.

The 146 year-old “Seattle Post-Intelligencer” (P-I) goes full Web tomorrow and becomes the largest northwest daily newspaper to go entirely digital.  Although it’s a shadow of the old printed paper it will now focus more on local news, with a much smaller staff.  And just last week, the Washington Post announced it was folding its stand-alone Business section, commercial news will now be featured in the main, first section.  Other papers like the Rocky Mountain News (now defunct), The Boston Globe, the L.A. Times and The NY Times are all having major economic problems.  Be it regular people wanting just the news or writing slants/styles that people want no part of – the news papers are going down.

This is unfortunate.  I believe the P-I did a good job and accurately reported on the Iron Pigs Sturgis shooting.   But,  let’s say you’re a major American motorcycle manufacture executive looking to hire a marketing wizard to get your news story in the paper, you might as well be paying for billboards on the space shuttle.  Your target audience isn’t going to see the story!

The “P-I” lost $14M last year on a 118K print circulation.  The web traffic is about 1.8M unique visitors a month.  It’s interesting to read about the writers and publishers as they scramble and complain that newspapers must not die and that people must pay and if not the public, then the government.  Sort of a “bail-out” rally cry for publishers. 

I agree that journalism must survive, not necessarily newspapers.  There’s often more meat, more truth in blogs who explain events than there’s been in a lot of the mainstream press.  Maybe because bloggers are at the center, they truly understand.  They are not only reporting, but they are LIVING the story as well!

While I feel sad for the 145 employees this turn of events will give the P-I opportunity to work on new ways of connecting readers, fans and pundits and maybe even develop a thriving new businesses along the way.

Photo courtesy Joshua Trujillo/Seattle Post-Intelligencer

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Behind The Scenes Of The Sturgis Shooting

As you may recall the situation happened at the Roadhouse bar with four off duty, out-of-state law enforcement officers and a firefighter, all members of the Iron Pigs – a police motorcycle club – who get into a heated confrontation with some Hells Angels members on the last day of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.  The confrontation ends when Ron Smith pulls his Glock 23 and shoots Joseph McGuire a HAMC member.

I blogged about the incident and posted several updates HERE, HERE and HERE.

Many readers weighed in with comments between support of the police to those who where very distrustful.  Some comments became derisive after the South Dakota court threw out the assault and weapons charges and then later dismissed all the indictments.

Recently Charles Remsberg, an author of three best-selling law enforcement training textbooks, and contributor to the PoliceOne site has posted an interesting “Behind The Scenes” recap of the shooting.  Part 2 of the report is HERE.  His report provides deeper insight into the minutes leading up to the shooting, the psyche of the various folks involved, the injuries and a bit of the grand jury transcript.  Granted Mr. Remsberg writes from a LEO point of view, but does so after nearly three decades of work where he earned the prestigious O.W. Wilson Award for outstanding contributions to law enforcement and the American Police Hall of Fame Honor Award for distinguished achievement in public service.

To be fair, and after reading Remsberg’s report some of my initial implications were inaccurate.  However, I do think my overall assessment was correct, at least based on the information that was released at the time.

At any rate check out the good report and you be the judge.

UPDATED: January 28, 2009 – Part 2 of the report HERE.

UPDATED: February 25, 2009 – In a plea agreement Joseph McGuire (HAMC) pleads no contest to simple assault (versus aggravated assault) and was sentenced to one year in the Meade County Jail.  According to Rapid City Journal, McGuire’s sentence was suspended as long as he does not break the law.  No fines were imposed, but he can not attend this years rally.

UPDATED: May 7, 2010 – Detective Ronald Smith has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department.  Even though all charges were dropped the suit alleges the department disparaged him and negligently provided false information that led to his indictment on a perjury charge.  This was an embarrassment and the lawsuit contends his reputation was harmed.

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Respect The Badge Or The Gun

From the movie Righteous Kill the tag line is “There’s Nothing Wrong With A Little Shooting As Long As the Right People Get Shot“…sure that’s Hollywood, but it seems this could be applied to the law enforcement investigation of Seattle Detective Ron Smith whose felony assault charges for shooting a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle club in Sturgis were dismissed yesterday.

Dropped because as Jesse Sondreal (Meade County State Attorney) states:

“the investigation that I have reviewed indicates he (Smith) was assaulted and it was premeditated.”  The investigation established that Detective Smith was defending himself from a violent pre-meditated attack and he responded in a manner which was neither excessive nor unreasonable under the circumstances.

DeNiro Target Range

While the case illustrates reserving final judgment until all facts are examined it leaves some unanswered questions about how much, if any, the Sturgis incident was influenced by Smith’s testimony in a Hell’s Angel federal racketeering and murder trial in Seattle last year which sent several former and current members of the motorcycle “club” to prison ranging from seven years to life without parole. Or how much the decision to dismiss the assault charges were based on the lack of cooperation of the HAMC who wouldn’t testify before the grand jury?

The Seattle Times (Jennifer Sullivan) reports HERE that Court records and police testimony indicate Smith has clashed with another Hells Angel back in 2005.  Authorities filed charges alleging that Anthony James Magnesi, a member of the Washington Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels, had threatened Smith over the phone.  The end result from an internal investigation dismissed misdemeanor charges filed against Magnesi and Smith was referred to his supervisor for a training issue.  Much more on the Magnesi clashes HERE.

Detective Smith will return to full active duty (he was on administrative leave pending results) and obviously the Seattle Police Officers Guild is happy with the outcome and issued a press release HERE.

For more background information look at:

1. Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Iron Pigs Ride The Northwest
2. Northwest Harley Blog Archive | When Iron Pigs Fly
3. Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Sturgis Ends With First Shooting In 20 Years
4. NEW – Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Behind The Scenes Of The Sturgis Shooting
5. NEW – Northwest Harley Blog Archive | Cash Is The Icing On Iron Pigs HR218 Cupcake

I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit conflicted and feeling this outcome is anti-climatic.  Does this mean the Iron Pigs won’t return to Sturgis next year?  Can the motorcycle events industry afford yet another motorcycle “club” clash?

Operator, I need Mr. Happy.  Now!

Update: November 18, 2008 – Weapons charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: May 7, 2010 – Detective Ronald Smith has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department.  Even though all charges were dropped the suit alleges the department disparaged him and negligently provided false information that led to his indictment on a perjury charge.  This was an embarrassment and the lawsuit contends his reputation was harmed.

Photo courtesy of the movie Righteous Kill web site.

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When Iron Pigs Fly

Flying Pigs

“When pigs fly”…is an idiom or a popular saying used to indicate that something will never happen.  So, when will the “Law Enforcement” spin stop on this Sturgis shooting?  No time soon it would seem…

The Seattle Times is reporting that the off-duty police officer who shot Hells Angel member Joseph Patrick McGuire (33, of Imperial Beach, Ca.) at the Loud American Roadhouse in Sturgis was forced to open fire after being attacked and pinned to the floor by up to three members of the outlaw motorcycle gang.

The Rapid City Journal identified the Seattle police officer as Ronald Smith (43, of Seattle, WA). He is assigned to the departments pawnshop unit.  In grand-jury investigation statements he said:

The detective said one Hells Angel member “got in my face” and began an argument.  “I was cold-cocked on the left side of my face by at least one, if not three, Hells Angels,”…”I woke up on the ground pinned against a bar stool by a Hells Angel in a red bandanna,”…”I was receiving fists and feet from the top during this.”… “I tried to wriggle free, but didn’t have any leverage.”…”The Hells Angel in the bandanna tried to grab my gun just as another man was choking me… “I then pulled the handgun from my hip and opened fire.”

According to the newspaper, 25 people testified during the seven-hour court hearing.  No arrests have been made and the investigation could continue until the grand jury reconvenes on Aug. 27^th.

Not everything is as tranquil as they would want us to believe…new information has been released on the detective involved in the Sturgis shooting has twice been investigated by the department of Office of Professional Accountability, a civilian police-oversight group, during his 15 years on the force. Both complaints were confirmed by the group.  One investigation stemmed from a verbal argument he got into with a Seahawk fan while working an off-duty assignment at Qwest Field in 2004. He also got into an argument inside a Pierce County restaurant in 2005 with a restaurant employee who was taunting and threatening him and his then-fiancée.  He received a two-day suspension for the incident with the Seahawk fan and a written reprimand for the other incident.

I’ve received a number of questions about whether it was legal for Smith to have a gun on him in the Loud American Roadhouse, because he was off duty at the time.  According to South Dakota law, people with concealed-weapons permits cannot carry firearms into bars. Police officers are exempt from this rule if they have written permission from the county sheriff, according to the law. However, the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (a federal law) enacted in 2004 supersedes the state law, allowing off-duty law-enforcement officers to carry weapons anywhere they choose, but it requires that the weapons handler not be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

So let the spin continue as nothing has been reported about sobriety tests conducted after the shooting…

Update:  August 14^th – Seattle PI is reporting that Hells Angel member Joseph Patrick McGuire was arrested Jan. 18, 2007, as part of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Diego Police Department. Police served warrants on two San Diego-area homes that belonged to the president of the Hells Angels’ local chapter.  McGuire is the chapter treasurer and was arrested at one of the homes in Pacific Beach, Calif. Police seized a pound and a half of marijuana, in addition to hydrocodone and oxycodone pills, and $5,000 in cash.  The San Diego chapter president and vice president were charged in separate cases in the investigation.  McGuire was released on bond and scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Aug 20 in San Diego County Superior Court, with his trial set for September.  He was charged with possession of marijuana for sale and two counts of illegal possession of narcotics.

Update: September 5th – The Argus Leader is reporting that both men (McGuire (HAMC) and Smith (Iron Pigs)) are charged with alternative counts of aggravated and simple assault.  Smith was also charged with perjury.  In addition, misdemeanor gun charges were also brought against the four other fellow bikers with Smith (also part of the Iron Pigs): Scott Lazalde (Bellingham, WA); Dennis McCoy (Seattle, WA); Erik Pingel (Aurora, CO) and James Rector (Ferndale, WA).

Update: September 9th – The Seattle.pi is reporting that the perjury charge has been dismissed against Smith.  The grand jury indicted Smith last month on charges of aggravated assault, perjury and illegal possession of a concealed weapon.  Smith initially stated he was carrying his personal firearm, but the Seattle Police Department records contradicted him, showing that it was a department-issued gun.  This was the evidence that was presented which resulted in the perjury charge.

Update: September 17th – Aggravated assault charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: November 18, 2008 – All weapons charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: February 25, 2009 – In a plea agreement Joseph McGuire (HAMC) pleads no contest to simple assault (versus aggravated assault) and was sentenced to one year in the Meade County Jail.  According to Rapid City Journal, McGuire’s sentence was suspended as long as he does not break the law.  No fines were imposed, but he can not attend this years rally.

Photo courtesy Flickr.

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Iron Pigs Ride The Northwest

Only a few weeks of summer remain and just when it seemed the outlaw motorcycle club “news” would subside, along comes the recent shooting of a Hell’s Angels member by an off-duty police officer.   The Sturgis shooting raised questions for me about who is this motorcycle club that confronted the HAMC?  So I did some research on the motorcycle club.

The Iron Pigs M/C is a name unfamiliar with motorcyclists in Oregon because the club does not list any chapters in the state. Many of them are cops, though they dress as bikers and as off-duty law enforcement officers they are free to show tattoos their uniforms would otherwise hide.

The club has roots back to the late ‘80s (see footnote at bottom of page) and it has chapters in twenty-two states.  The club is open to all law enforcement and firefighters who ride American-made V-Twin motorcycles.

From the Iron Pigs M/C web site it states:

The Seattle Chapter of the Iron Pigs Motorcycle Club really began back in 1995 in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. A small group of cops and firefighters who rode together learned of the Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club. They chartered a chapter, the first, and what would be the only one in Washington State: The Kennewick Chapter.

They rode together for many years growing to approximately 10 members. In 1999 a cop from Seattle found out about the club while in Sturgis. When he returned to Seattle he contacted the Kennewick Chapter President, who eventually sponsored him for membership; he joined the Chapter in March of 2000, and after a period as a prospect, was patched in, September, 2000.

By this time there was a great deal of interest in the chapter and several more members, mostly from the Spokane area, joined and began to prospect. This brought the chapter membership to somewhere over 20.

In the first week of October, 2000 the proverbial shit hit the fan. A trademark dispute over the “Wild Pigs M/C” name and logo, which had apparently been underway since approximately 1993, came to a head, and two members, who had surreptitiously undertaken to acquire the rights to the trademark, were awarded the rights to the Wild Pigs M/C name and logo.

Unfortunately, those in charge at the time, who should have protected the trademark for the club, failed to do so, but in all fairness, you know what they say about hindsight.

At that point the club had grown to an estimated 80 chapters in the US and Canada, and 1600 or so members. Most of the chapters, and members chose to leave the Wild Pigs MC, most with a feeling of betrayal by two of our own, not to mention others who should have known better.

The members of the various chapters made an attempt to remain one club, but unfortunately some were not content to allow a peaceful process to proceed, while others had their own political agendas, which resulted in the split up of he membership.

The Washington chapter continued to have meetings, and found it difficult to make a decision one way or another. In the Spring of 2001 the Chapter voted on one item in particular, to try our best to stay together as a chapter.

In August, 2001 the chapter met for the annual Elk City run in Idaho. It was a great event as usual, and things were looking up. A meeting was held and the consensus was that the majority seemed inclined to join with the Iron Pigs M/C, but would also obtain information from the Renegade Pigs M/C, and the Warthogs M/C, and would meet for a vote in October.

In October, what would be the last meeting of the Wild Pigs M/C Washington was held in Ellensburg, WA. It became clear that there could be no majority vote, so the chapter members conducted a friendly split into those who wanted to join with the Renegade Pigs MC, and those who wanted to join with the Iron Pigs MC. A few others had already chosen to start their own thing in the Tri-Cities and are our brothers known as the Wild Reapers M/C, and one member joined our brothers and sisters in the Iron Warriors M/C.

Some of us former Wild Pigs from the Seattle area, who chose to join the Iron Pigs M/C, hooked up with two of our brothers from the Seattle PD who had begun the process to form an Iron Pigs M/C chapter in western Washingtion, and together formed the Seattle Chapter of the Iron Pigs M/C, the best damn M/C around.

We are looking forward to a very bright future. Within the various pages that you’ll find on this site you’ll see some references to some of the clubs as, “OWP,” this reference indicates that the particular chapter was founded by, Original Wild Pigs.

We’ll have to wait and see how all this play’s out.  But one thing is clear in that the Iron Pigs off-duty policeman did break a law by having his gun inside the bar. South Dakota statute disallows anyone to carry a concealed weapon into a licensed business for alcoholic beverages.

UPDATE: My reference point on firearm topic is from the Seattle Times who are reporting that according to South Dakota law, people with concealed-weapons permits cannot carry firearms into bars. Police officers are exempt from this rule if they have written permission from the county sheriff, according to the law. However, a federal law enacted in 2004 supersedes the state law, allowing off-duty law-enforcement officers to carry weapons anywhere they choose, but it requires that the weapons handler is not under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Update: September 5th – The Argus Leader is reporting that both men (McGuire (HAMC) and Smith (Iron Pigs)) are charged with alternative counts of aggravated and simple assault.  Smith was also charged with perjury.  In addition, misdemeanor gun charges were also brought against the four other fellow bikers with Smith (also part of the Iron Pigs): Scott Lazalde (Bellingham, WA); Dennis McCoy (Seattle, WA); Erik Pingel (Aurora, CO) and James Rector (Ferndale, WA).

Update: September 9th – The Seattle.pi is reporting that the perjury charge has been dismissed against Smith.  The grand jury indicted Smith last month on charges of aggravated assault, perjury and illegal possession of a concealed weapon.  Smith initially stated he was carrying his personal firearm, but the Seattle Police Department records contradicted him, showing that it was a department-issued gun.  This was the evidence that was presented which resulted in the perjury charge.

Update: September 17th – Aggravated assault charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: November 18, 2008 – Weapons charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: February 25, 2009 – In a plea agreement Joseph McGuire (HAMC) pleads no contest to simple assault (versus aggravated assault) and was sentenced to one year in the Meade County Jail.  According toRapid City Journal, McGuire’s sentence was suspended as long as he does not break the law.  No fines were imposed, but he can not attend this years rally.

Update: May 7, 2010 – Detective Ronald Smith has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department.  Even though all charges were dropped the suit alleges the department disparaged him and negligently provided false information that led to his indictment on a perjury charge.  This was an embarrassment and the lawsuit contends his reputation was harmed.

The club’s philosophy page describes the group as “the good guys, on the job and off” but it appears they didn’t handled this situation in a lawful manner.

Seattle Police Motorcycle photo courtesy of Flickr Photographer Slightly North.

Footnote: The Iron Warriors site provides more insight on the Wild Pigs M/C which spun out to today’s Iron Pig club.  Wild Pigs M/C was founded in June of 1987 in San Jose, California by a small posse of Deputy Sheriff’s within the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.  The motorcycle club was designed exclusively for active and/or retired law enforcement officers and firefighters with a select few associate members.

In 1994, two members of the San Jose chapter trademarked the club’s name and its logo for the purpose of franchising it. The action created a division of R and R enterprises and the Wild Pigs Motorcycle Club.

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Sturgis Ends With First Shooting In 20 Years

The Seattle PI reported yesterday that an off-duty Seattle police officer attending the Sturgis Rally was detained in a shooting that left a Hells Angels MC member injured early Saturday morning.  UPDATE: Sturgis Police identified the Hells Angels member as 33 year old Joseph McGuire of Imperial Beach, CA. The police officer is a member of the Iron Pigs Motorcycle club which is open to all law enforcement and firefighters who own and ride a V-Twin.

The confrontation happened on Main Street about 1 a.m. at the Loud American Roadhouse between the Hell’s Angels and members of the Iron Pigs Motorcycle club.  It included five other Seattle law enforcement members and the Seattle Police Department has

“All five officers placed on administrative reassignment (relieved of duty) pending further investigation by the South Dakota authorities.”

Loud American Roadhouse, Sturgis

It was reported that as many as 500 people were inside the club when officers from several agencies converged on the bar, evacuating patrons and securing the club.  Dean Kinney, one of the bar’s owners, told the Rapid City Journal in Rapid City, S.D., that workers at the bar noticed several Hell’s Angels gathering in and outside the bar, and actually called police prior to the shooting as a precaution.

The Sturgis rally has a reputation, but Saturday’s shooting is the first to take place during the rally in nearly 20 years.

An unfortunate way to end the rally. I plan to follow this story and watch if the “spin” machine goes into overdrive!

Update #1: more background on the Iron Pigs M/C HERE.

Update #2: Sturgis Police identified the Hells Angels member as 33 year old Joseph McGuire of Imperial Beach, CA.  Police are not releasing the Seattle Policeman name out of fears of his safety.

Update #3: The Rapid City Journal identified the Seattle police officer as Ronald Smith (43, of Seattle, WA). More info posted HERE.

Update #4: August 14^th – Seattle PI is reporting that Hells Angel member Joseph Patrick McGuire was arrested Jan. 18, 2007, as part of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the San Diego Police Department. Police served warrants on two San Diego-area homes that belonged to the president of the Hells Angels’ local chapter.  McGuire is the chapter treasurer and was arrested at one of the homes in Pacific Beach, Calif. Police seized a pound and a half of marijuana, in addition to hydrocodone and oxycodone pills, and $5,000 in cash.  The San Diego chapter president and vice president were charged in a separate cases in the investigation.  McGuire was released on bond and scheduled for a pre-trial hearing Aug 20 in San Diego County Superior Court, with his trial set for September.  He was charged with possession of marijuana for sale and two counts of illegal possession of narcotics.

Update #5: August 15, 2008 – Seattle Times is reporting that Smith testified against the HAMC in a high-profile racketeering and murder case last year.  His testimony was characterized as “pretty periphery” to the case, however, suggestions were hinted that the Sturgis confrontation could be linked.

Update #6: September 5, 2008: The Argus Leader is reporting that both men (McGuire (HAMC) and Smith (Iron Pigs)) are charged with alternative counts of aggravated and simple assault.  Smith was also charged with perjury.  In addition, misdemeanor gun charges were also brought against the four other fellow bikers with Smith (also part of the Iron Pigs): Scott Lazalde (Bellingham, WA); Dennis McCoy (Seattle, WA); Erik Pingel (Aurora, CO) and James Rector (Ferndale, WA).

Update #7: September 9, 2008 – The Seattle.pi is reporting that the perjury charge has been dismissed against Smith.  The grand jury indicted Smith last month on charges of aggravated assault, perjury and illegal possession of a concealed weapon.  Smith initially stated he was carrying his personal firearm, but the Seattle Police Department records contradicted him, showing that it was a department-issued gun.  This was the evidence that was presented which resulted in the perjury charge.

Update #8: September 17, 2008 – Aggravated assault charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: #9: November 18, 2008 – All weapons charges dropped.  See HERE for more info.

Update: #10: February 25, 2009 – In a plea agreement Joseph McGuire (HAMC) pleads no contest to simple assault (versus aggravated assault) and was sentenced to one year in the Meade County Jail.  According to Rapid City Journal, McGuire’s sentence was suspended as long as he does not break the law.  No fines were imposed, but he can not attend this years rally.

Update: #11: May 7, 2010 – Detective Ronald Smith has filed a lawsuit against the city of Seattle and the Seattle Police Department.  Even though all charges were dropped the suit alleges the department disparaged him and negligently provided false information that led to his indictment on a perjury charge.  This was an embarrassment and the lawsuit contends his reputation was harmed.

Iron Pigs M/C logo courtesy of web site and Loud American Roadhouse photo courtesy of Yan Soderlin / Rapid City Journal

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