OVERTON COUNTY, Tenn. – The owner of a bar where police responded to a near riot between rival biker gangs will be billed for police response.
Herb Clark said members of the Outlaws and the Renegades, two rival biker clubs, showed up along with hundreds of other motorcyclists at Scooter's bar in rural Overton County. Clark, who is the owner, said a member of the Renegades started causing trouble and the punched him in the head. Tensions went up and someone immediately called 911 telling police to come.
Police, deputies from Putnam and Overton Counties, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and SWAT team members responded to the call. No one was arrested.
"When someone is asking for help from uniformed officers, they're asking for help from the SWAT team, you assume something is really wrong," said Putnam County Sheriff David Andrews.
Andrews said he is frustrated responding to these types of calls at biker rallies in this area, and the taxpayers shouldn't have to keep footing the bill for security when things get out of hand.
"I just don't think the taxpayers of Putnam County should pay for his partying," explained Andrews.
Sheriff David Andrews plans to send Clark a bill for up to $1,700 for that massive show of force.
The sheriff said it was well known that some members of the motorcycle club that would be at the Southern Thunder Rally didn't get along. To him it only makes sense to have security.
Herb Clark disagrees and believes he shouldn't have to pay the bill because he never called for help, another patron of the bar called 911.
A spokesman for the Renegades said the violent incident with the bar owner had nothing to do with any motorcycle club business that happened that day.
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