'Not even an angry bump of shoulders' at Hells Angels founder funeral despite safety concerns
Those inside large-scale funeral service for Sonny Barger at Stockton 99 Speedway say event wasn't dangerous as sheriff had feared it could be
Those inside large-scale funeral service for Sonny Barger at Stockton 99 Speedway say event wasn't dangerous as sheriff had feared it could be
Those inside large-scale funeral service for Sonny Barger at Stockton 99 Speedway say event wasn't dangerous as sheriff had feared it could be
Thousands turned out at a celebration of life ceremony for Modesto native and founder of the Oakland chapter of the Hells Angels, Ralph “Sonny” Barger.
Barger died from cancer at the age of 83 back in June, but a large-scale service in his honor was held Saturday at the Stockton 99 Speedway.
The service went forward despite community safety concerns expressed by the San Joaquin County sheriff.
“This is an event that we made it clear that we think it could turn dangerous,” said Sheriff Pat Withrow at a news conference prior to Saturday’s event. “History of these events proves that.”
For safety's sake, the sheriff’s office said it worked with area agencies to beef up law enforcement presence, county-wide.
“It's going to be in the millions of dollars that we've spent to make sure our citizens stay safe,” Withrow said.
KCRA 3 spoke with a vendor who worked the event. Sylvia Baker runs the Margarita Business booth with her father. She offered a positive take on her experience inside the venue.
“Everybody was very well-behaved, respectful,” Baker said. “There was not even an angry bump of shoulders here.”
In advance of the event, the sheriff said he believed his office’s preparedness would help prevent anything negative from happening.
For those on the inside, the event turned out to be a memorable one.
“People that hadn’t seen each other in 30 years got together,” Baker said. “It was very meaningful. Lots of people there. Shed some tears. Great memories were shared.”
In a Facebook post about the event, the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said “only a few minor incidents occurred" and that they "were dealt with.”