Hells Angels gangster wanted in blunt-weapon assault of teen & relative.....

Friday, August 09, 2013

The man accused of an unprovoked attack on two cyclists Monday night is also an alleged high-ranking Hells Angels member who had legally promised to end his criminal ways. At 11:15 p.m., a 14-year-old boy and 27-year-old male relative were out for a bike ride near Concordia Avenue and Molson Street when a man began following them in a vehicle. After a short distance, the suspect got out of the vehicle and attacked the 27-year-old and 14-year-old victims with a blunt weapon. The victims escaped, and called police. They were taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injures. On Friday, police issued a warrant for the arrest of Rodney Patrick Sweeney, 45. Sweeney is white, 6-foot-2 and 230 lbs. with a medium build. He has short brown hair and a goatee. He’s also allegedly a long-time, high-ranking Hells Angels member, the brother of the gang’s reported president. It’s unclear what provoked the attack. “Certainly the two victims have nothing that would indicate they didn’t do anything to bring this upon themselves. They’re not known to police, there’s nothing whatsoever that would lead us to that conclusion,” Const. Rob Carver, police spokesperson, said Friday. “From our investigation it seems to have been instigated by nothing — nothing that would provoke even an aggressive confrontation, never mind a violent attack,” Carver said. Police warn Sweeney has been known to carry weapons and should not be approached. Instead, they ask anyone with details of Sweeney’s whereabouts to call (204) 986-3916. “Sweeney is known to police,” Carver said. “He’s the kind of individual we would not want members of the public to approach for any reason. He is … known to carry weapons. We would just want to know if he was seen and some indication of where he was.” “We’re hoping Sweeney will turn himself in, given the media attention.” Last summer, Sweeney agreed to abide with the conditions of a peace bond — to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour.” That bond remains under effect until 2015. The little-used legal weapon is intended to fight organized crime by keeping gang members apart. “It’s an all-encompassing thing to be a good citizen ... which this type of activity, if proven, would be in breach of,” Carver said. Sweeney’s brother Dale is the reported president of the Hells Angels, who were engaged in a violent drug turf war with rivals Rock Machine at the time. Sweeney was not charged with a crime at the time. But court heard Hells Angels associates “assembled in convoys to go on the hunt for rival Rock Machine members,” court documents state. Sometimes, the missions culminate in a home invasion, dubbed “knock knock ginger man,” the court documents state. Police implicated Sweeney in these so-called hunting missions through an intercepted text message from his brother. “Grab some of the boys tell them to put somework (sic) it. Keep pressure on they hurtin (sic) bud!” police quote Dale Sweeney as writing to Justin MacLeod, the alleged president of the HA’s “friend” gang, the Redlined Support Crew.