Hells Angels Leader Gunned Down On Schuylkill
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Victim Is High-Ranking Member Of Hells Angels
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POSTED: 7:29 am EST January 14, 2005
UPDATED: 7:00 pm EST January 14, 2005
POSTED: 7:29 am EST January 14, 2005
UPDATED: 7:00 pm EST January 14, 2005
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PHILADELPHIA -- A member of Philadelphia's Hells Angels died in a hail of bullets early Friday morning near the Schuylkill Expressway.
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Police think a member of a rival motorcycle gang shot the biker while he was in his pickup truck around 1:40 a.m.
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Authorities said that they are bracing themselves for an all-out gang war because the victim, Thomas Wood, 36, was a high-ranking member of the Hells Angels. Police sources said that Wood was also a former member of the rival gang the Pagans. The Pagans are believed to be behind Friday morning's shootout. Police are not sure if Wood was the intended target.
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Wood was the vice president of the Hells Angels in Philadelphia. Police sources said he was wearing the gang's color when he was killed.
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Police said Wood had just left the club Cheerleaders with a friend when he was shot. That friend was on his motorcycle in front of Wood when he witnessed the shooting around 1:40 a.m.
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"Apparently what (the victim) does when he realizes that these two males are shooting at the witness -- who was on a motorcycle -- he actually intercedes and drives his vehicle in between the two of them, actually preventing the man on the motorcycle from being hit," said Capt. Richard Ross, of the Philadelphia Police Department.
"Apparently what (the victim) does when he realizes that these two males are shooting at the witness -- who was on a motorcycle -- he actually intercedes and drives his vehicle in between the two of them, actually preventing the man on the motorcycle from being hit," said Capt. Richard Ross, of the Philadelphia Police Department.
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Police said the shots were fired from a white Chevrolet Suburban with two men inside. Investigators are looking into whether the shooting was in retaliation for a fight on New Year's Day between members of the Hells Angels and the Pagans.
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Police said that they would not tolerate any further retaliation.
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"We will not tolerate a war here in the city of Philadelphia. By tolerating things like that it is very possible innocent people could be harmed or hurt," said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson.
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Police sources told NBC 10 News that both the victim and the witness had registered guns with them, but did not return fire.
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The Hells Angels have been battling the Pagans for years.
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In 2003, one person was killed, 10 were wounded and 70 were arrested in a battle between the rival bikers at the Hellraisers Ball on Long Island, N.Y. Shortly afterward, a South Philadelphia tattoo parlor was firebombed in what police said was retaliation for the incident.
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Copyright 2005 by NBC10.com. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2005 by NBC10.com. All rights reserved.
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posted by Rev. Marguerite Earhart at 1/21/2005 01:04:00 AM
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