San Joaquin sheriff warns public of 'potential danger' at Hell's Angels services
A funeral for Hell's Angels motorcycle club founder Ralph "Sonny" Barger to be held at Stockton 99 Speedway is expected to draw thousands of club members and other attendees Saturday afternoon, prompting a warning by San Joaquin County Sheriff Patrick Withrow for residents to stay out of the area.
"There is a long history of these type of gatherings resulting in shooting, stabbing, and homicide," Withrow said at a press conference on Friday. "I'd like everyone in this county to be aware of this event and the potential danger of this event."
The Department of Justice considers motorcycle clubs like the Hell's Angels to be gangs "whose members use their motorcycle clubs as conduits for their criminal enterprise," Withrow said. The Sheriff's Office learned about the planned funeral on Aug. 25 and unsuccessfully sought a court injunction to stop it from taking place, he said.
The event comes three months after Barger, who founded the Oakland chapter of the Hell's Angels in 1957, died of cancer at age 83. Barger became famous as the face of the organization, which faced many federal investigations on criminal enterprise and racketeering offenses over the years, according to USA Today.
Barger, who was born in Modesto, was convicted in 1988 of conspiracy to kill rival club members and blow up their headquarters, The Associated Press reported at the time.
The Sheriff's Office initially sought to prevent Barger's funeral from occurring in Stockton by seeking a court injunction and by urging Tony Noceti — the president of the business that operates the speedway — not to hold the event, Withrow said. The Sheriff's Office was denied the court injunction and Noceti "disregarded the input from all our law enforcement partners," according to Withrow.
The Hell's Angels first approached the Oakland Coliseum as a potential venue before deciding to use the 99 Speedway, Withrow said. On Friday 4,500 people had RSVP'd to attend Barger's funeral, but the event could draw thousands more, he added.
"I was told by the Hell's Angels if there's a problem, they will handle it," Noceti said. He said he was asked by a "very deep friend of mine" to allow Barger's funeral to be held at the speedway.
Beyond compensation for beer and food sold at the event, Noceti said he will not be paid for the use of his venue.
Sheriff Deputy Nick Goucher, a department spokesman, said "There will be high-visibility patrols ... not just in the area, but throughout the county."
Withrow urged residents to avoid the area near the Speedway, located just west of Highway 99, on North Wilson Way, on Saturday. "There are definitely going to be rival gangs in the area," he said. Major traffic delays in the area are also likely, Withrow said. The funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. to 8 p.m., with a ceremony beginning at 3 p.m. and ending at 5:45 p.m. followed by a performance by the Fryed Brothers Band.
Services also will be livestreamed on Speedunion TV.
Withrow would not go into detail about law enforcement's strategy for managing potential incidents at the funeral, but said the Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, Stockton Police and other agencies are dedicating enormous resources to securing the area.
"We can handle it. It's not going to be lawlessness," Withrow said. "If it goes bad at an event like this...we're going to keep it away from our good public."
"We have a strong possibility to make this a successful event," Noceti said. "I understand [the Sheriff] has a job to do, I understand the Hell's Angels are the most notorious group in the world ... but we're trying to have a funeral here."
Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Sonny Barger services to be held in Stockton
