Investigation continuing into shoot-out at Healy "One of the first State Troopers on the scene was my old high school basketball coach. He told me how ashamed he was of me without even starting to find out what happened." Sitting on the banks of the Chena River in Fairbanks Saturday night, in a nest of a dozen dusty, low-riding "choppers," was Monte Elliott, 23, sergeant-at-arms of Anchorage's "Brothers" motorcycle club, He was referring to a weekend gun battle between several railroad workers and members of the cycle club in Healy, a mining town of 500 on the northeast edge of Mt. McKinley National Park. No arrests have been made but investigation is continuing into the melee that broke out shortly before midnight Friday and left three people wounded, Fairbanks Troopers report. Two of the injured were reported in good condition today at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. They are Gerald Protzman, 27, and Charles Lemmons 24, both of Anchorage. Don Hatmaker 34, was treated at the scene for a gunshot wound in the right shoulder. Ten Troopers from Fairbanks, 100 miles north of Healy, and from Nenana were summoned when shooting broke out at the Healy Hotel Bar. Two of them were members of the Fairbanks Special Emergency Reaction Team equipped with riot gear. Elliott shared with a News-Miner reporter his version of how several broken bike generators and an attempt to have a few beers before bedding down culminated in about 25 rounds of gunfire. Sporting a tee-shirt bearing a four-letter profanity and sitting near the club's aged blue bus with "Church of the Nazarene" painted on the sides, Elliott admitted that events Friday were bewildering. The lanky Elliott, with full blonde beard, a chipped tooth and gentle eyes, appeared far from pleased about what happened and seemed concerned about his image in what he calls a club and others call a gang. Elliott said he and his "Brothers" rolled into Healy about 9 p.m. Friday with the decrepit bus, planning to stay after several of the cycles broke down. He said the group of 11 walked into the town's sole traveler's rest. He said a brief exchange of insults with one of Healy's many railroaders ended with the railroader buying the club members a round of drinks. Then, most of the Brothers returned to the bus, he said. Charles Lemmons, known as "Robot," stayed in the bar drinking with two railroad workers and a few bar employees, according to Elliott. "Next thing I knew," chimed in one of the riders, Perry Hubert, 19, “I heard one of the railroad workers yelling, 'You're gonna' get the f--- out of here, all of you." The man later was identified by Troopers as Don Hatmaker, an employee of the Alaska Railroad. At that point, according to the cyclists, Lemmons was shot in the abdomen with a .44 magnum revolver. According to Troopers reports, a worker "drew a .44 magnum and started shooting when he thought the person he was arguing with was going for a concealed weapon. A second railroad worker also began firing after fire was returned by the biker." The shots that were fired within the next few minutes reportedly left holes throughout the establishment. A Healy resident told an Anchorage reporter that "you can see daylight through the walls all over the place. They shot holes in the floor, the walls, the ceiling, the bar, and the bottles; there was tomato juice and blood all over the place." Meanwhile, Hubert said in an interview with the News-Miner, club member Elliott was about to doze off in the bus when he heard the CB radio cackle, "Get back, get back, Robot's been shot." Elliott chimed in, "Then I saw his (Lemmons) whole side dripping blood." The club members returned to the bar led by Protzman, they said. By that time a second worker was brandishing a pistol and, according to the bikers, "wood was splintering all over the place." "They opened up on Peewee," Elliott said, "and he came out double-fast." The Brothers still were in Fairbanks today, having been questioned by the Troopers and freed to leave town. Elliott praised the first Trooper on the scene of the battle, saying, "he had it all together" and implied the club received impartial treatment as the investigation unfolded. Elliott, surveying his weary crew with its small mound of beer cans, concluded, "We're thinking of taking the train back" to Anchorage. Meanwhile, Troopers said they expect the investigation to go to the district attorney's office later this week where It will be decided if charges will be pressed against anyone. Today Healy magistrate Barbara McFarland said she is declining comment to the numerous news reporters calling her. She said people there still are concerned about the situation but she would not elaborate on reports residents are worried the bikers will return for revenge. Another spokesman, an employe of Paul's Healy Roadhouse six miles from the hotel, said "everything's calm. I don't think they (people) are fearful ... people can take care of themselves and we have pretty good police officers out here." Many thanks for reprint permission from Rod Boyce, Managing editor, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner |