Fall River biker brawl: City shuts down motorcycle club headquarters for code violations
FALL RIVER — The 1375 Pleasant St. clubhouse of a motorcycle club involved in the Saturday noontime melee with a rival club that left seven people stabbed was shuttered by the city for building code violations on Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning, the bright orange “UNINHABITABLE NO OCCUPANCY” notice was plastered on the door of the building used as the Pagans' headquarters.
On the notice, a warning said that anyone who continues to use or occupy the space could be subject to prosecution.
On Tuesday, Glenn Hathaway, the city's director of Inspectional Services, issued a “cease and desist” order because, he said, work was being done in the building without proper permits.
Hathaway said the uninhabitable order was issued because “there was no fire protection in the building at all.”
What is the 'East Coast 1%'
The notices didn’t block a painted sign on the shattered glass door identifying the Pagans as the “East Coast 1%.”
According to the U.S. Department of Justice National Institute of Justice, a 1% motorcycle organization identifies with outlaw motorcycle gang subculture, signifying that 99% of bikers are law-abiding citizens.
Several sources identified the rival club in Saturday's melee as Hell’s Angels, a motorcycle club that is located in Westport and also identifies as a 1% motorcycle organization.
Saturday biker brawl investigation
The violent incident on Saturday is still under investigation and police have not released the identities of any suspects.
Rival motorcycle club brawl in 2019: Tensions high before fatal shooting
According to a police press release issued Saturday afternoon, at around 12:30 p.m. more than 50 people were involved in a brawl in front of the Pleasant Street motorcycle club headquarters.
Four of the seven stabbing victims were taken to Rhode Island Hospital and three others were transported to Charlton Memorial Hospital.
Not the first biker brawl in Fall River
The last time rival motorcycle clubs clashed so publicly in the city was in September 2019 when a gunfight broke out between two local groups, the Sidewinders motorcycle club and the Outlaws motorcycle club outside of JC’s Café on Bedford Street.
Rival motorcycle club brawl in 2019: Tensions high before fatal shooting
The shooting left an Oak Bluffs man dead and two others injured with non-life-threatening wounds.
Fatal shooting in 2019 Police search two Fall River motorcycle clubhouses.
The Outlaws and Sidewinders identify as 1% motorcycle organizations.
Stepped-up police presence and moving ahead with revitalization
Since Saturday’s daytime brawl, Mayor Paul Coogan said he’s spoken with acting Police Chief Paul Gauvin regarding getting walking beats back on Pleasant Street in the Flint neighborhood and increasing police patrol presence.
“People are nervous, but I don’t think that’s normal behavior,” said Coogan, mentioning a recent neighborhood meeting in the Flint and talked about issues like this.
Revitalization plans: Flint residents have big dreams for their neighborhood. Will they be around to see them?
That meeting was held May 4 with the city and Redevelopment Authority looking for input from Flint residents on an ambitious project to revitalize Pleasant Street.
Coogan said he and his administration met with the owner of the 1375 Pleasant St. property, Manuel Campos of Somerset, on Tuesday.
“It seemed like he wanted to work with the city,” said Coogan. “Obviously in a situation like this it puts added scrutiny on a building, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Asked if he’d prefer that the Pagans motorcycle club not return to the Pleasant Street property, Coogan said that section of the city is a business district and the administration will be looking at zoning regulations in the area regarding clubs.
“We’re not going to take our foot off the gas on Pleasant Street, this fight was a horrible — and I’m hoping one-off — incident,” said Coogan.
Jo C. Goode may be reached at jgoode@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism and subscribe to The Herald News today!
This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Biker brawl in Fall River results in motorcycle club shutdown
