The SPIN Report is a local Police Intelligence Network hosted by the Ross Township Police. They have over 800 Law Enforcement Officers in the network. Every LEO in the network has the privilege of posting any information of a Police Intelligence nature that they deem of importance to their fellow Officers. It is not an official LEO site, but it was started by a Ross Township Police Officer in order to help spread information that may be helpful to the LEO community as a whole. On premise, the site sounds like a great idea. Why not help other LEO's if you have some important information that may help an Officer to better accomplish his or her goals to protect and serve the public. It would only make sense to warn fellow LEO's of a potential danger that might keep them out of harms way. You can form your own opinion as to whether a member of the site would be inclined to consider the information posted on the site of an official nature if they based their decision on this disclaimer. The disclaimer from their site is listed below:
"*Notice: The information disseminated through the Southwestern Pennsylvania Intelligence Network (SPIN) is intended for lawful usage by SPIN members and other law enforcement officers, ONLY. The use of SPIN is exclusive to law enforcement personnel. It is the responsibility of each subscriber and their respective agencies to notify the SPIN administration within 24 hours of an officer’s separation from employment. Public dissemination of information derived from SPIN is subject to the same standards, restrictions and criteria as information obtained in any criminal investigation. All Pennsylvania and Federal statutes apply when disseminating or utilizing information sent or received through SPIN. Additional email addresses to other simultaneous recipients are strictly prohibited, when composing or forwarding information to be sent to SPIN. The information shared through SPIN is generally deemed reliable. However, the administrators of SPIN, the Township of Ross, the Ross Township Police Department and the Ross Township Police Association do not explicitly guarantee the reliability and accuracy of the content of SPIN messages. The reliability of SPIN information is the sole responsibility of the submitting member. Taking action based on the consideration of SPIN information is the sole responsibility of the individual member who uses the information. No storing of information or creation of any database compiled of SPIN information is permissible. SPIN is not considered a Criminal Intelligence System as defined by 28 CFR Part 23. Contact spin-info@rosspolice.com for additional information or administrative assistance."
The problem is that there is no process in place for the screening of the accuracy of the individual posts. If a particular Police Officer did not like his neighbor, Mr. Smith, he could post a message on the SPIN Network that Mr. Smith was a known serial drunkard and had violent tendencies. He could warn fellow LEO's that Mr. Smith was rumored to carry illegal firearms and caution LEO's in the local area to exercise extreme caution when dealing with Mr. Smith. The SPIN Report might look like the following:
"Mr. Smith, who lives at 123 Main Street, Jeannette, PA was recently involved in a domestic dispute with his girlfriend that nearly escalated into a dangerous situation. Mr. Smith is known to be a serial drunkard with a violent temper. He is alleged to carry illegal firearms and all LEO's in the area should exercise extreme caution if they come into contact with Mr. Smith."
As you can see, this post would give any LEO's a preconceived notion that Mr. Smith was potentially far more dangerous to them than an ordinary citizen. It is human nature to respond to a situation that you perceive as threatening or dangerous differently than you would an ordinary situation. A SPIN Report similar to this could create a dangerous situation. At the slightest perceived provocation, an LEO might respond to Mr. Smith in a far more forceful manner than the situation dictates. On the other hand, Mr. Smith might feel severely threatened by an encounter with an LEO under this scenario because he sensed that the LEO was treating him as a criminal without any due cause. It could lead to Mr. Smith reacting in a manner that was totally out of character for him.
Mr. Smith might be the deacon of his local church, the best husband and father in the community, a teetotaler, and never touched a firearm. The LEO who posted the message on The SPIN Network might not have even had any personal dislike for Mr. Smith. Maybe he did not intentionally post the false information. He may have heard the information from another LEO who heard it from another LEO who heard it from a citizen whose son lost out on the starting Quarterback position at the local high school to Mr. Smith's son.
You might think that my example is a bit far-fetched and such a dissemination of false information could never occur with LEO's that are sworn to protect our rights and uphold the law. If you read the entire report, I will illustrate, in great detail, that is exactly what happened with regards to multiple SPIN Reports posted in reference to our organization; The War Dogs Motorcycle Club.
To be very clear, our organization has the utmost respect for Law Enforcement and we are a law abiding Club. My attempt is not to publicly humiliate any LEO, but to bring light to a serious problem. If this can happen to my organization, don't think it cannot happen to you or one of your loved ones.
To Law Enforcement Officers:
I assume that your first response to my reply to a SPIN Report would be to ask who in your network leaked the information. I will save you some time in that investigation. We have nine different Officers that routinely give us copies of your SPIN Reports. At first thought, I am sure this will anger you. However, if I were you I might ask myself why this is happening. It is happening because these Officers have taken the time to investigate our organization and form a fair opinion as to our objectives and goals and what type of men we are. They realize that these frequent misleading and often downright false reports are dangerous to our organization as well as the Police Agencies that are getting the reports. They realize that frequent false or misleading reports that portray The War Dogs Motorcycle Club negatively, often as a criminal organization, creates undue fervor and resentment that could lead to a Police Officer being overly aggressive when they come in contact with us. It could get a Member of our Club injured because a Police Officer mistakenly believed he was in danger by our mere presence after reading numerous reports that are unsubstantiated and based on innuendo and rumor. This is surely exactly what you are trying to prevent with The SPIN Network. Consequently, instead of being outraged at the fact we have access to your reports, I hope you will allow me to tell the truth about our organization and correct the errors in various SPIN Reports concerning us. I will stand behind any statement I make and should any real evidence or facts prove my statements to be in error, I will issue a letter of apology promptly and respectfully.
SPIN Report from July 23rd, 2008:
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: spin@rosspolice.com
Subject: OMG assault on an officer
Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:51:10 -0400
I just received info via North Huntingdon Township PD that a city of Jeannette officer was assaulted ( I believe today 7/23/08) by members of the War Dogs. I did not get many details at this time but future SPIN messages should be sent today or tomorrow containing more information. It is believed that the War Dogs spotted an FOP decal on the officer's vehicle and approximately eight (War Dogs) surrounded the vehicle then pulled the officer out and procedded to assault him. No further details at this time.
SPIN Report from July 24th, 2008:
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject:
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thursday, July 24, 2008, 4:43 PM
This incident involved a number of War Dogs who targeted an off-duty Jeannette police officer. It is not definitively known that the officer was attacked due to an FOP decal or if this was some random type of road rage incident where they singled him out for some other reason. Allegedly, the officer exited his vehicle at one point, displayed a badge, and was rushed by several members prior to responding officers arrival. From what I am told, charges are going to be filed in the near future.
You might conclude from the above SPIN Reports that every War Dog in the Tri-State should be incarcerated for life plus 20 years.
After hearing of this incident, I personally spent almost a week investigating what happened. I had the assistance of several experienced investigators. As with any investigation, what actually occurred will only be known by the individuals involved and they will surely have distorted the scenario in their minds to justify their actions and reactions. After numerous clarifications and refinements, I arrived at the following final conclusion. I believe it to be an accurate representation of actual events. If I am proven wrong by actual evidence, I will issue an apology promptly and respectfully.
Four War Dogs and another motorcyclist named Scooter left a drinking establishment at approximately 02:00 on Wednesday July 23rd. The War Dogs were Jack, Chuck, Chuck Jr. (his son), and George. Three of the Four War Dogs had been drinking. They all swear that they were not intoxicated, but I did not give them a field sobriety test. Normally, we ride with Club Members only and non-Members like Scooter do not ride with us. However, it is not a hard and fast rule. Scooter was an acquaintance of Chuck Jr. They had met once before and had a beer. They had run into each other that night and Scooter asked to ride with our Members since they were traveling in the same direction. Chuck Jr. told him to ride in the back of the group as per our protocol. Jack was the Chapter President and he was not even aware Scooter was following them. Scooter just happened to be getting on his motorcycle to leave as the Four War Dogs departed the bar. We do not know Scooters real name and have not spoken to him. He is not in our Club. As the group rode down the road, George's bike started sputtering as they went around a bend. Chuck and Chuck Jr. knew it was a recurring problem and it would correct itself momentarily. They waved Scooter forward in order to get him out of the way while George's bike returned to normal operation. Jack did not know this had occurred and continued ahead at his normal speed. Scooter accelerated to catch up with him. As Scooter caught up with Jack, they approached a pick-up truck driving at a normal rate of speed directly in front of them. Shortly after the two settled in behind the pick-up truck, the driver of the truck slammed on his brakes causing the two bikers to almost lose control of their bikes. Jack is adamant that he was following a safe distance behind the pick-up truck when the driver jammed on his brakes causing the near accident. The driver of the pick-up truck was Officer Gino Cavalier of the Jeannette Police Department. He was off-duty and neither Jack nor any of the other War Dogs had seen the pick-up before, nor was there any previous argument with the driver that would possibly have caused tension between the parties. If anyone has ever driven a motorcycle at night, you would know that identifying an FOP decal on a license plate at night would be nearly impossible. There are a number of Police Officer's, Deputy Sherrifs, Prison Guards, Probation Officers, Constables, Game Wardens and Full-Time and Volunteer Firefighters who are Members of our organization. To accuse our Members of somehow targeting a Police Officer in this incident is ludicrous and incendiary. Obviously Jack was angry that the driver had almost caused him to crash. I would assume that Scooter felt the same way. I can only assume that Officer Cavalier was trying to make a point by slamming on his brakes because he felt the motorcycles were following him too closely. The attached pictures clearly show where Officer Cavalier slammed on his brakes. Although Jack claims otherwise, he may have very well been following Officer Cavalier too closely. That would still not justify Officer Cavalier's actions. After Officer Cavalier slammed on the brakes, he drove forward to the stop sign and stopped his pick-up in a sideways position blocking the road. It was as if he were making a left hand turn slightly prior to the stop sign and stopped half way through the turn. The pictures of his spinout marks confirm the sideways position of his pick-up truck when he started the spinout. After stopping his pick-up sideways on the road, Officer Cavalier rolled down the window and started a barrage of insults and curses at Jack and Scooter. Jack did get off his motorcycle and approach the pick-up screaming at the driver to get out of the middle of the road. Scooter followed him. As they approached the vehicle, Officer Cavalier opened the door and stepped out of his vehicle. Jack immediately recognized him as a Jeannette Police Officer. Officer Cavalier did not identify himself as a Police Officer nor did he show a badge. Jack recognized him because he grew up in Jeannette and had known him for years. The other three War Dogs had just then caught up to Jack and Scooter. As they started to get off their bikes to see what was happening, Jack turned and yelled to them that the driver was a Jeannette Police Officer and there was no problem. Unfortunately, Scooter got in a shoving match with Officer Cavalier a few seconds prior to Jack identifying him as a Police Officer. The shoving match lasted no more than 10 seconds. As soon as Scooter heard Jack say he was a Jeannette Police Officer, Scooter walked back to his bike as well. No War Dog assaulted or even touched Officer Cavalier in any way. Jack was actually apologizing profusely for the confusion. Although warranted, Officer Cavalier offered no such apology. Of course, I cannot purport to define the Officer's motives or rationale. Officer Cavalier claimed that he was punched. There were no visible bruises, blood, contusions, or other physical evidence to support his claim that night. However, other Officers in the Jeannette Police Department said he had a chipped tooth and slightly bruised nose the following day. I have no reason to doubt their statement. However, no War Dog saw any punches thrown between Scooter and Officer Cavalier during the brief shoving match. It is conceivable that he sustained his injury during a shove to the face, but I was not there. Since we do not know Scooter's whereabouts and have not seen him, we do not know if he sustained any injuries from the shoving match. Shortly after this occurred; Officer Cavalier returned to his pick-up and peeled out in a violent manner. He drove a short distance up the road and pulled over. He yelled back at Jack that he was calling the Police. Jack immediately instructed all the War Dogs to remain on their bikes until Police arrived. Everyone stayed there until Police arrived except Scooter. He said since he was not a Member of our Club, he was leaving. He then departed the scene. Officers from Penn Township and Jeannette arrived on scene shortly thereafter. They only questioned Jack about the incident. Officer Cavalier was convinced two War Dogs left the scene and they had been the people that he alleged assaulted him. No War Dogs left the scene. Scooter left the scene. Jack said he did not know the guy that left the scene. The other War Dogs were asked to provide their licenses but they were not questioned about the incident. The Police formed there opinion on what transpired after speaking with an Officer from their department and Jack. No one was given a field sobriety test. No one was issued any citation. No one was arrested. Whether Officer Cavalier or any of the War Dogs were legally intoxicated is unknown. I do feel comfortable in stating that I believe alcohol played a part in his thought process as it did with several of the War Dogs. The first SPIN Report on this incident claimed War Dogs surrounded Officer Cavalier and pulled him from his car and assaulted him. This is entirely false, misleading, and dangerous. The assertion that War Dogs surrounded Officer Cavalier thus forcing him to stop is ludicrous. I do not know if Officer Cavalier made that claim or the Officer that wrote the SPIN Report just wrote it based on innuendo. I can assure you that there are not many bikers stupid enough to pull in front of a pick-up truck on a dark road at night thinking that would be a good way to force someone to stop. It would be a great way to get run over and killed. This did not happen. Officer Cavalier stopped because he made the decision to stop. If there had been any bikes in front of him, it is obvious from the spin out marks left from his tire tread that they would have been run over. The attached pictures show the scene of the incident quite clearly. The Jeannette Police are now convinced it is our responsibility to identify Scooter. One of our Members met Scooter one time previously and he has no idea what his given name is, or where he lives. Several Jeannette Police Officers have called and approached two of our Members. They said that we would be pulled over and given citations every time we drove through their community and they had contacted numerous other Law Enforcement Agencies and asked them to do the same. Jack told one of the Officers that the information in the SPIN Report was entirely false and misleading. The Officer replied, "That's how it goes when you fuck with the Police. We will make sure you guys get fucked with everywhere that you go. You better give up this guy or things will get worse. If I was Cavalier, I would have lied through my teeth and just picked one of you War Dogs to go to jail. That is how it should have gone down." Jack again told him that he could not identify the guy. The Officer replied, "Then you will see how our gang works." Jack had a party for his family at his home in Jeannette on Sunday. Five friends on motorcycles showed up. The Jeannette Police drove down his one way street eleven times in one hour. We have date and time-stamped pictures to prove that. That is certainly within any Police Officer's right, but what is the purpose of the harassment? When several of the motorcycles went to leave, there were seven Jeannette Police Cruisers sitting in a parking lot at the end of the one way street. I would think the citizens of Jeannette would want their department to actually patrol the streets instead on trying to intimidate Jack into "giving up" someone he had no logical way of identifying. One of our Members was driving over to Jack's and stopped at a stop sign in Jeannette. He gave a turn signal with his hand - as is permissible. An Officer quickly pulled him over. He was found to have a suspended license and no motorcycle license endorsement. The license was erroneously listed as suspended. The state had suspended it because he had been late with child support payments. He had brought his arrears payments up to date the week before, but the state had not reinstated his license in the database because of the usual delay in government paperwork. He also did not have a proper motorcycle endorsement. He was a career navy veteran and had lived in Virginia. He had a motorcycle endorsement on his Virginia license and showed the Officer. He said he would also show the Officer the paperwork showing that he had paid the child support the week before to prove that his license should not be listed as suspended. He only lived a block from where he was stopped and offered to get the information immediately. The Officer decided to tow his, completely street legal, bike and impound it. The Officer was certainly within his right to do so. If The Jeannette Police want to enforce everything to the fullest extend of the law that is completely understandable. I would simply ask for equal treatment. I believe the Law should apply to War Dogs and Police Officers equally. I think most citizens and LEO's would have similar feelings.
The tire tread along the yellow center line is from Officer Cavalier slamming on his brakes. The large tread in the middle of the road was pre-existing.
You can see from examining the start point of the skid marks that the pickup truck was parked in a sideways position blocking the road.
SPIN Report from July 15th, 2008:
Subject: Motorcycle club
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:56:52 -0400
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: spin@rosspolice.com
Good afternoon SPIN members. I am sending this message as an informational email due to the recent activity regarding the Pagans and Wardogs in our area. On April 15th, 2008 an International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Riding Club started a chapter here in Pittsburgh. This club is the Renegade Pigs MC. They have 40 chapters nationwide and in addition to the Pittsburgh chapter there is one in York, Pa. This is not a 1% club.
I am in the club and because we will be riding through most of the SPIN network's communities, I wanted to let everyone know we are not an outlaw motorcycle gang. You must be a sworn police officer to join. We have a website to view the club's colors and additional information about the club if interested. Here is the website link: www.renegadepigspittsburgh.com
Any questions, concerns, or comments please feel free to contact me.
Although our Club was only briefly mentioned here, I did want to stress a few points. The War Dogs Motorcycle Club is not a 1% Club either. The War Dogs Motorcycle Club is not an outlaw motorcycle either. In this Officer's attempt to set the record straight concerning his Club, he left a veiled connotation that we where a 1% Club and and/or an outlaw motorcycle club. We have Police in our Club, just like they do. Are we so different? We know this Officer and we know his intentions were honorable, but I am sure that you can see how a preponderance of SPIN Reports from different Officers each implying or downright accusing our organization to be something that we are not would surely give most LEO's false impressions concerning our organization. We wish these gentlemen the very best with their new Club. As they grow, I sincerely hope someone does not post a SPIN Report saying they are bad cops if one of them is ever involved in an altercation, has friction with a Club that simply dislikes their existence, gets a DUI, or just does something stupid.
SPIN Report from July 9th, 2008:
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 2008 07:49:18 -0400
From: xxxxxxxxxxxx
To: spin@rosspolice.com
Subject: Wardogs
After seeing the Wardogs/Pagans info, I thought I would pass this along. Most of the departments they are going to pass through probably got the same information as I did in the mail.
The Wardogs are having their second annual "Bike Run for fallen soldiers, police officers and firefighters." According to their pamphlet, the proceeds will benefit their scolarship fund, which goes to a full time student that is the son or daughter of a military veteran, police officer or fire fighter who was killed or injured in the line of duty. The run is going to be on Saturday, July 26th. The start and end point is at "Celebrations and More" 8110 Steubenville Pike, Imperial, Pa. Sign up starts at 0930 and the run leaves at 1230. The route will travel, in part, through Avella, Washington and Cecil. The after ride party is at Celbrations at 1800 hours.
I don't know if the Pagans would try and cause any problems at this event. Various groups could be attending and passing through SPIN members' areas on the way to this. There may be a number of off-duty law enforcement officers riding in this event from various law enforcement motorcycle clubs.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Chief
Xxxxxxx Township Police
This SPIN Report was written by the Chief of a Township in Beaver County. His intentions were honorable and we appreciate his concern for our safety. However, I had some information concerning our security precautions for this event. I called the Chief to discuss them. I believe our information would have alleviated the Chief's concerns that we might have problems at our Run. I called his department, identified myself, my position with our organization, and asked to speak with the Chief. I wanted to explain what we were doing and answer any questions that he might have concerning our organization. He was not at work that day and the dispatcher asked if I would like an Officer to call me. I responded affirmatively and gave her my number. I never received a call back. This report leaked to citizens and of course hundreds of LEO's saw it on The SPIN Network. Some citizens and LEO's were hesitant to attend our Run because of the possible problems that the Chief suggested might materialize. I wish I had gotten a chance to review our plans with the Chief and he may have felt comfortable enough to post a SPIN Report saying he was confident that we had taken proper security measures for the Run and no problems were anticipated. The people that did not attend our Run because of these concerns may have contributed enough to the scholarship fund to give an additional scholarship to the son or daughter of a Police Officer. Again, I am not questioning the Chief's good intentions or motives. I am simply pointing out the end result of the SPIN Report.
SPIN Report from July 8th, 2008:
From: spin-info@rosspolice.com
To: SPIN@rosspolice.com
Subject: Officer Safety - Pagans Versus Wardogs
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2008 22:56:25 -0400
Subject: Pagans Versus Wardogs
Please advise your patrol and crime members that there is turmoil between the Pagans and Wardogs Motorcycle Gangs.
Apparently an older (60’s) member of the Wardogs was assaulted by three members of the Pagans at The Zoo in Sharon on Wednesday 07/02/08. Allegedly they stole his keys, cell phone and colors. The Pagans were NOT wearing colors, however the victim knows that one of the members was “Pitbull”. Apparently the assault was unprovoked and the Pagans just took the opportunity because they saw an easy Wardog target. The victim is not interested in police assistance.
This Wardog was armed at the time, however was likely to old and / or drunk to pull his weapon.
Most of the Wardogs carry weapons, and I would bet that all of them who are carrying are doing so with a valid permit. It is our understanding that the Wardogs have been instructed to “defend themselves to the fullest extent of the law.” Just be cautious when dealing with them.
This SPIN Report is the only one I have seen concerning our Club that was, for the most part, accurate. I would like to point out that our Members have been repeatedly briefed in the need to show no signs of aggression if ever pulled over by a Police Officer - for any reason. Also, many of these SPIN Reports refer to our Club as a "GANG". The following is the most common definition of the word "GANG"; A group of criminals or hoodlums who band together for mutual protection and profit. If you choose to call us a gang in future reports, please keep in mind that we have not been involved or convicted of any criminal activity except for several DUI's since our Club inception over six years ago. I cannot confirm the names of the individuals who attacked my Member or whether they were actually members of the Pagans Motorcycle Club because I only got second and third hand accounts. I can definitively say that we have no desire to interact or support certain Clubs. We have repeatedly said that we do not claim any territory. We do not wear a 1% patch and we abide by the law. We have no desire to associate with any Clubs or organizations that do not abide by the law. Our desire to be left alone has angered certain Clubs. I suppose it is because of their desire to control territory, but I am not sure of their motivations. We simply want left alone to build our Club and support our Brotherhood which continues to attract combat veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. Our annual scholarship run is to support the children of Fallen Hero's. This includes Veterans, Firefighters, and Police Officers. This is not a scam to cover up some criminal activity. This is what our Club is about. Because some other Club may not like our motives or our mere presence is not going to keep us from doing what we have a right to do. Even though our Member was attacked, we are law abiding. My orders to our entire Club are simple. "We have been attacked. Be aware that it might happen again and be prepared to defend yourselves to the fullest extent of the law." Would any of you respond differently to a similar situation?
SPIN Report from May, 2007:
From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, May 29, 2007 8:20 A.M.
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
CC: spin@rosspolice.com
Subject Officer Safety – Recent MC Activity in Western PA
April 2007, during the monthly Wardogs meeting at the Tonidale Bar and restaurant, a former outlaw motorcycle club member who was patched over into the Wardogs recommended “organizing things in Beaver County the way the motorcycle club previously did.”
Information May 2007, unknown numbers of Wardogs MC were reported to have been in Jack’s Tavern on the south side when several members of the Brothers of the Hammer MC (Black motorcycle gang) arrived. The Wardogs told the B/H to take of their colors. An argument transpired and the B/H departed.
May 2007, several men wearing Wardog colors were observed by a Pittsburgh Police Officer in Hazelwood below the tracks between 2nd Ave and the river. This is considered a high drug traffic area and was the focus of a drug saturation detail.
May 2007 a known Ambridge Police officer reported he heard “the word on the street” is “the Wardogs are going to take over the drug distribution in Beaver County” (This is unsubstantiated at this time.)
May 2007 a former Wardog who quit the group and turned in his colors reported he received a veiled threat by phone and by text and was being extorted (fine $100.00) by Mick Morrow and a member named Chuck.
May 2007, South Fayette Twp. Fifteen members of the Wardogs were at a Tavern when they attacked a patron and seriously injured him.
The War Dogs MC state they are not a 1% motorcycle club, but recently they patched over six members of an outlaw motorcycle club into their club. These former outlaw motorcycle club members were made Mother Club Members (similar to board of directors). In the last several months the War Dogs are increasingly showing signs of being territorial and confrontational. They are under orders from their leadership to carry firearms when wearing colors. It is unknown the direction this two hundred plus member Wardogs motorcycle club will take. Law Enforcement should use extreme caution when dealing with this group or any 1% biker. Friction has developed between an outlaw motorcycle club and the Wardogs and now a Chapter of the Hell’s Angels has opened in the New Castle area. This is a tinderbox waiting to happen, as the summer riding season is now upon us.
Of course, I would have appreciated the opportunity to respond to this report clarifying the facts. However, I was unable to have my reply posted on the SPIN Network, so 800+ LEO's that read this post had no reason to doubt the validity of the post. I am sure many of them believed the entire post and formed their perception of our organization based on its content. I did write a reply, but I doubt many of the LEO's had an opportunity to read it. If they did, they would have probably believed what the LEO wrote instead of my reply. They had just been informed, in short, that I was the leader of a huge criminal organization. Why would they believe anything that I wrote or said? If I were an LEO, I would probably believe my fellow LEO. Below is the point by point reply that I wrote. I simply ask that you have an open mind when you read my rebuttal and form your opinion based on rational thought instead of preconceived ideas.
April 2007, during the monthly Wardogs meeting at the Tonidale Bar and restaurant, a former Outlaw Motorcycle Club Member who was patched over into the Wardogs recommended “organizing things in Beaver County the way the Outlaw Motorcycle Club previously did.”
• If you have over 200 guys talking in a room, a lot of things are said. I never heard anyone say anything of the sort, and I am sure that there was never any talk or discussion about organizing things the way the Outlaw Motorcycle Club previously did. This is entirely false!
Information May 2007, unknown numbers of Wardogs MC were reported to have been in Jack’s Tavern on the south side when several members of the Brothers of the Hammer MC (Black motorcycle gang) arrived. The Wardogs told the B/H to take off their colors. An argument transpired and the B/H departed.
• The only time the War Dogs were at Jacks in May, a Black Club did enter Jack’s while we were there. They were not the Brothers of the Hammer; they were the Sin City Deciples. They were there because they came to have a drink with us. After we had a drink in Jack's, we rode over to Rolands in the Strip District together and had a drink there as well. We have had no encounters with the Brothers of the Hammer in any bar - ever. If we did, we would offer to buy them a drink as well. This is entirely false!
May 2007, several men wearing Wardog colors were observed by a Pittsburgh Police Officer in Hazelwood below the tracks between 2nd Ave and the river. This is considered a high drug traffic area and was the focus of a drug saturation detail.
• I cannot believe any Police Officer would write something so ambiguous with the intention of insinuating criminal intent. I am sure that Pittsburgh Police Officer did see a few Wardogs in that location. We have two members that live there. This one is really a joke.
May 2007 a known Ambridge Police officer reported he heard “the word on the street” is “the Wardogs are going to take over the drug distribution in Beaver County” (This is unsubstantiated at this time.)
• What Ambridge Officer heard this information? How was it substantiated and confirmed? It was unsubstantiated! If that is the case, why is it included in any report to any Police Agency? Have any War Dogs been arrested for any drug violations anywhere at anytime. The answer is NO. This is entirely false.
May 2007 a former Wardog who quit the group and turned in his colors reported he received a veiled threat by phone and by text and was being extorted (fine $100.00) by Mick Morrow and a member named Chuck.
• This former Member’s name is Rich Schneider. He was thrown out of the Club because he threw a State Police Motorcycle Trooper the middle finger while riding in the opposite direction on the Parkway West. We could not believe the Trooper was able to get an accurate description of the War Dog and his bike traveling on a highway in the opposite direction. However, after we investigated the Troopers account of the incident we were surprised that he was extremely accurate in his description. The bike he described was somewhat unusual and it only fit one Member of our Club. I did send Rich a text telling him he was being fined $100.00. I am sure he has the text message. There was no threat intended or implied. In our Club, if a Member is disrespectful or inappropriate he is given a "fine". The "fine" depends on the severity of the indiscretion with a maximum of $100.00. Most Members consider this a hefty fine. It is our way of policing our own with the intent to minimize irresponsible behavior. The $100.00 would have gone to the charity of choice of the Trooper who had been disrespected. However; in keeping with the character of a person who would throw a State Trooper the middle finger, Rich said he would not pay. That is his choice, but his failure to pay the fine illustrates to everyone in the Club the type of person he is. That is why he is no longer a Member. This is entirely false!
May 2007, South Fayette Twp. Fifteen members of the Wardogs were at a Tavern when they attacked a patron and seriously injured him.
• The only incident involving a tavern brawl happened at the Settle Inn in Oakdale. It is not even in South Fayette Twp. In any case, there were four War Dogs in the bar when the incident occurred. There were two patrons of the bar that were starting trouble with several different parties at the bar. The one patron claimed he was just out of prison and was going to shoot some of the other patrons. He actually motioned with his fingers on two of the other patrons heads as though he was firing a shot at their heads. The four War Dogs had nothing to do with these two unruly hooligans. The War Dogs drink in that bar often and never bother anyone. The bar owners and North Fayette Police are well aware of that. As the night went on, a friend of one of the War Dogs came into the bar. One of the hooligans, who had been trying to start trouble all night, started an argument with this gentleman - subsequently attacking him. He attacked the wrong guy and an altercation ensued. When the hooligan’s friend tried to jump in on a fair fight, a couple of the War Dogs restrained him from doing so. They did not punch him or beat him in any way. After the gentleman fought with the first hooligan, the War Dogs left the other guy loose to face him one on one. He did not fare any better than his friend. This statement is not only entirely false, it is easily verified by checking with the bar owners and looking at the police report. All the individuals involved were known by the Police and there were no charges filed against any War Dogs. I do not know if the Officers filed charges against the two trouble-makers because, like the Trooper who wrote this SPIN Report, I have not read the Police Report.
The War Dogs MC state they are not a 1% Motorcycle club, but recently they patched over six former Outlaw Motorcycle Club Members into their club. These former Outlaw Motorcycle Club Members were made Mother Club Members (similar to board of directors). In the last several months the War Dogs are increasingly showing signs of being territorial and confrontational. They are under orders from their leadership to carry firearms when wearing colors. It is unknown the direction this two hundred plus member Wardogs motorcycle club will take. Law Enforcement should use extreme caution when dealing with this group or any 1% biker. Friction has developed between the local Outlaw Motorcycle Club and the Wardogs and now a Chapter of the Hell’s Angels has opened in the New Castle area. This is a tinderbox waiting to happen, as the summer riding season is now upon us.
• If this LEO wrote this thinking he was giving good intelligence to his fellow Officer’s, he has dangerously misled his Brother Officers. Again, the War Dogs MC is not a 1% organization. Our goals and mission are clearly defined on our website (www.wardogsmc.com). If any Member fails to follow our protocols, they will be thrown out of the Club. We believe in giving any man a second chance in life. Of the Members that joined our Club that were with the Outlaw Motorcycle Club in question, one of them is on our nine-member Mother Chapter (not six). We have shown absolutely no signs of being territorial. We are not, and will not be territorial. Some of our Officers have suggested that our Members that are legally allowed to carry firearms should do so. It is within all citizens’ rights to carry a firearm if they are granted the necessary permit through the County Sheriff’s Office. To imply that Law Enforcement should use extreme caution with the War Dogs Motorcycle Club without any basis for such advice could easily put our Members and Officers in tense situations that could needlessly escalate out of control because an Officer felt endangered having received false and misleading information.
In the future, whenever we see a SPIN Report pertaining to our organization, we will post it on our Counter-Spin Network. We will then investigate it to the best of our abilities and post our findings. If future evidence shows any of our findings to be in error, we will publish a report to that fact. If we find a Member of ours to be at fault, we will admit it. If the Members transgression is of a serious enough nature, he will be expelled from the Club. I respectfully ask that all LEO's give us an opportunity to state our findings before making up your mind on something that you have heard in a SPIN Report. Obviously, you may read my rebuttal and think I am totally full of shit. Of course, that is your right. However, I ask that you give us an opportunity to explain before jumping to conclusions.
Our goal as a Club was to purchase as much connecting acreage as possible to build a large Clubhouse and have a primitive campground. We know if we are able to accomplish this, we will be able to foster our Brotherhood in a private, tranquil environment free from all of the negative consequences of frequenting bars. We know we can be a positive influence in any community if given a chance. We recently attempted to purchase over 300 acres in Jefferson Township, Washington County. We were recently denied our application for a special exception to have a campground on the property; thus voiding our contract to purchase the property. This was due in large part to strong community opposition due to the negative rumors they have heard about our Club. During the hearing, several citizens actually quoted excerpts from previous SPIN Reports with some of the misleading and false statements I have detailed. These comments are recorded on the stenographers report. Of course we are disappointed, but we will continue to try to build a quality, law abiding organization and hope we will have another opportunity to purchase property in the future. We will continue to support all Law Enforcement Agencies and persevere to grow our Fallen Hero's Scholarship Run larger every year. We raised slightly over $12,500.00 during our Fallen Hero's Scholarship Run this past weekend. This was despite scores of Law Enforcement Officers boycotting our Run because of the recent SPIN Reports. Many of the Officers said they did not want to appear to have a conflict of interest due to those SPIN Reports. If we would have had our own property and had the support of the Law Enforcement Officers that had intended to come on the Run, I am confident that we would have been able to raise over $20,000.00 this year. Nevertheless; we are happy with this years success and we are currently offering (5) $2500.00 Scholarships to the son or daughter of a Police Officer, Firefighter, or Veteran killed or wounded in the line of duty. If any of you know anyone you feel worthy of the scholarship money, please send us an email or contact any War Dog with the information. We will be awarding the scholarships at our yearly reunion in early January. We are sincerely grateful to all of our sponsors and hope you will be able to attend the award ceremony.
We respect all law Enforcement Agencies and appreciate the excellent job you do in putting your life's on the line on a daily basis. No matter what disagreements we may have, we will never forget that fact.
Respectfully,
Mick Morrow
War Dogs Motorcycle Club
President - Mother Chapter
MEMBERS ONLY