Outrage against cops loud but limited

By RON BROCHU

Hells Angels were cast as the good guys while cops and media were broadly disparaged during a Tuesday community meeting in Carlton.

“Harassment by law enforcement” ruined an opportunity for local firms to capitalize on the weeklong Hells Angels visit, said meeting organizer Tim Rogentine, who rented his bar to the motorcycle club during the last week of July. Making matters worse, advance news stories spread fear throughout the community, further squelching business, he added.

“Our community was wronged – that’s what I feel. We want to make sure this doesn’t happen in the future,” he told about 30 people who attended the session.

Rogentine was among the first business owners to complain about the heavy police presence, which included helicopter flights, patrols by several visiting sheriff’s departments, assistance from the Minnesota State Patrol, ATF agents and other federal officers. Even before the Angels’ visit began, squads were parked at the entrance to his establishment, The Lost Isle, and patrols were stopping club members for every minor traffic violation, Rogentine said July 28.

Although his intention Tuesday was to receive comment from other business owners, few attended. Most participants were bikers. Like Rogentine, they said police overreacted, contending they not only targeted Hells Angels, but also stopped unaffiliated motorcycle enthusiasts, often without probable cause.

“As far as I’m concerned, the police didn’t protect me – they scared me,” said resident Michael Lavoie. “The Highway Patrol was completely out of hand.”

Many people have expressed similar disbelief during the two weeks since Hells Angels departed the Northland. Proctor Speedway fans complained the presence of a few Angels July 31 prompted authorities to repeatedly circle the track with a helicopter. Lavoie said excessive patrols scared people from a weekly VFW raffle in Carlton.

“The cops left a stigma on this community. I don’t think a one of us will ever trust them again,” Lavoie said.

Some blamed Sheriff Kelly Lake, saying her deputies have a reputation for harassing bikers. One said he’s been tailgated several times by Carlton County squads.

“It ain’t only the Hells Angels they give shit to – it’s everybody. I’ve never heard of such bullshit in all my life,” he said.

“Carlton County has its own rules,” lamented another resident.

Waitress Mary Ableiter criticized Lake for comments she made in a TV interview.
The sheriff suggested overtime paid to strengthen police presence would infuse cash into the community. Ableiter contended cops scared customers away and barely spent a nickel.

“None of law enforcement came in to give me business or tips,” she said. “Local customers stayed away because patrol cars went in and out all night long” at the truck stop where she’s employed.

Rogentine criticized a federal unit called “the bar crew” that dressed in bullet-proof ninja-type bests and sometimes carried rifles. One such unit was spotted near Curly’s Bar in Duluth’s Lincoln Park.

“If the Hells Angels went into a bar, four of them would follow and stand against the wall,” he said. One area bar owner asked members of the unit for identification.

“I don’t have to show you shit,” the officer replied, according to Rogentine.

“Business was affected. Our civil rights were broke for no apparent reason,” he said.

Wisconsin biker Andrew Mathiassen agreed the problem extended beyond local deputies.

“It’s ATF and the feds. The probable cause was absent. People were being pulled over just because they were bikers. Every time I turned around, there was a cop behind me,” he said. “If we don’t write our Congressmen, next time they’ll target someone else, like snowmobilers. “

Meanwhile, Mathiassen said the media inaccurately reported one story. He said the Angel accused of stealing a motorcycle was innocent. Paperwork for the sale simply hadn’t yet been processed, he said.

Nobody from the law enforcement attended Tuesday’s meeting, although Rogentine said he did not invite them.

Although dissent was limited, one man said people are naïve if they believe Hells Angels is simply a motorcycle club, arguing that members are “very capable of doing harm.”

Rogentine admitted little can be done to reverse the economic damage he believes authorities inflicted. Lavoie, however, suggested residents voice their concerns to the Carlton County Board.

“County commissioners are the ones who have control of this county and all of the foolishness that goes on here with the Sheriff’s Department,” he said. But with just 30 people at the session – few of them from the business community – it’s hard to know whether they represent a community consensus.
This story also appeared in the Aug. 14, 2009 Reader Weekly