Hells Angel Rod Sweeney arrested

Wednesday, August 14,2013

A Hells Angel wanted in connection with a bizarre attack on two cyclists last week is now in custody. Rodney Patrick Sweeney, 45, was arrested on Tuesday, four days after police announced a warrant had been issued for his arrest. Sweeney has been charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in connection with what police say was an unprovoked attack on a 27-year-old man and his 14-year-old nephew. The incident happened Aug. 5 at 11:15 p.m. near the corner of Concordia Avenue and Molson Street in East Kildonan. Police say the two victims were riding their bicycles when a man began following them in a vehicle. After a short distance, the suspect got out of the car and attacked the pair with a blunt weapon. The victims escaped with non-life-threatening injuries and called police. Neither victim appears to be affiliated with a gang or have provoked the attack, police said. “From our investigation, it seems to have been instigated by nothing — nothing that would provoke even an aggressive confrontation, never mind a violent attack,” police spokesman Const. Rob Carver previously said. Last summer, Sweeney agreed to abide by the conditions of a peace bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour until 2015. The little-used legal weapon was used by police at the time as part of efforts to keep a lid on a brewing turf war between the Angels and its rivals, the Rock Machine. Sweeney was detained in custody at the Provincial Remand Centre.