LINCOLN COUNTY MASSACRE

Transcription

1 LINCOLN COUNTY MASSACRE A Film by Elaine McMillion (USA, 2011, 59 minutes)

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SYNOPSIS... 3 ABOUT THE FILM... 4 CHARACTERS... 6 DIRECTORS STATEMENT... 9 FILMMAKER BIOGRAPHIES PRESS RELEASE 11 I (304) I [email protected] 2

3 SYNOPSIS At a time when every motorcyclist was stereotyped as a Hell s Angel, The Bootleggers and the Brothers of the Wheel motorcycle club members received a brutal beating by the West Virginia State Police in Lincoln County, West Virginia. The night resulted in the arrest of 15, the hospitalization of three and a federal lawsuit where a jury ruled on behalf of the bikers. Through interviews with club members, eyewitnesses and attorneys, Lincoln County Massacre tells the story of the events leading up to April 19, 1980, the three years that followed and police brutality in West Virginia today. The film focuses on the members who founded the Brothers of the Wheel club in Milton, West Virginia and chronicles how the night in Lincoln County affected those who were present and the club as whole. I (304) I [email protected] 3

4 ABOUT THE FILM The Brothers of the Wheel (BOTW) was founded by Bill Boss Marshall and Dennis Midget Morgan in 1977 in Milton, West Virginia. As a young American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) club, the members met a lot of resistance from outlaw clubs who had claimed territory in the Huntington and Charleston areas. At the same time, The Bootleggers motorcycle club was forming in St. Albans just 45 minutes away. The two charity clubs became close friends because of their similar mission: to help their communities. On April 19, 1980, BOTW and The Bootleggers motorcycle clubs met at the White House Tavern, in Lincoln County, W.Va. They traveled from all over, bringing their wives and children, and planned to camp inside the bar that night. But after a larger-than-expected crowd rolled in the town of Bear Creek, the bikers made the decision to camp outside. To keep warm during the cold April night, men cut down trees for firewood in the woods behind the bar. But the immense darkness blinded their vision causing them to chop down a tall sapling, which fell on a power line. The valley became dark. The loss of power, in addition to the overwhelming amount of strangers in the area, caused the neighbors to panic. Two officers from the Lincoln County detachment of the West Virginia State Police drove by the bar and noticed an absence of light from within. Troopers B.R. Lester and R.W. Coon pulled over and advised patrons to move to the parking lot and out of the bar, until the power was restored. Both police and bikers say the exchange was civil. I (304) I [email protected] 4

5 Soon after the police left, a local biker wrecked his motorcycle in a neighbor s freshly seeded yard. A second biker came upon the accident and began to threaten the neighbor, causing locals to panic and call the police. Neither bikers involved in the confrontation and accident were affiliated with BOTW or The Bootleggers. After midnight on April 20, most of the bikers had cleared the area. The remaining 10 bikes sat outside of the tavern. Around 2 a.m. over 25 state police officers arrived at the White House Tavern. According to the bikers, police arrived on the scene with their headlights off and "snuck" up on them in their sleeping bags and tents. Eyewitnesses and bikers claim that police forced male bikers to lie facedown in broken glass, as they beat them with their riot sticks. Women and children were advised to stand against the front of the tavern and watch as the beatings occurred. Newspaper reports state that officers destroyed the motorcycles, bashing headlights, slashing tires and breaking windows out of cars. Police stated they did not intentionally damage the motorcycles. Fifteen bikers, including one woman, were taken to the Cabell County jail. After being booked, three people were transported to St. Mary s Hospital in Huntington. Following that night, bikers filed a federal lawsuit against the state of West Virginia. In 1983, they were awarded a total of $24,000 for damages and hospital bills but were awarded no punitive damages. Since the incident The Bootleggers dissolved their association as a club. However, BOTW has continued to grow and have 17 chapters in three states. I (304) I [email protected] 5

6 CHARACTERS Dennis Midget Morgan Former VP and Co-Founder of the Brothers of the Wheel. Currently lives in Ona, West Virginia. Bill Marshall Former President and Co-Found of the Brothers of the Wheel. Currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ray Precious Carey National Vice President of the Brothers of the Wheel. Currently lives in Ironton, Ohio. Jack Bushman Sadler Charter Member of the Brothers of the Wheel and former co-owner of the White House Tavern. Currently lives in Milton, West Virginia. I (304) I [email protected] 6

7 Sandy Marshall Wife of Bill Marshall. Currently lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Rick Lester Former President of the Bootleggers Motorcycle Club. Currently lives in St. Albans, West Virginia. Lying Bill Hoffman Former Member of the Bootleggers Motorcycle Club. Currently lives in St. Albans, West Virginia. John Dorsey Attorney based out of Charleston, West Virginia who represented 15 bikers in federal court. Mike Clifford Attorney based out of Charleston, West Virginia who represented Bill Hoffman and his now ex-wife. I (304) I [email protected] 7

8 Bill Hudson Eyewitness and Lincoln County Resident Naomi Smith Eyewitness and Lincoln County Resident James Bays Juror in the federal court case. Currently lives in South Charleston, West Virginia. William Wolford Alternate Juror in the federal court case. Currently lives in Madison, West Virginia. Brenda Tabor Cook Eyewitness and Lincoln County Resident Katie Thacker, Nick Red Bird McCoy, Jerry Lucas. Lincoln County Residents I (304) I [email protected] 8

9 DIRECTOR S STATEMENT By Elaine McMillion I first heard of this story when I was living in Washington, D.C. finishing up my time at The Washington Post Digital. Justin Gillispie, my co-producer, heard it from a direct source, Bill Hoffman, who was present the night of the massacre. It seemed unreal that I had never heard of this event. I had lived in Southern West Virginia most of my life until I went to college at West Virginia University. When I first started researching the film I did not realize how many serious issues I would turnover. During production I met a lot of resistance from residents, police and bikers. Not everyone wanted to speak about the night. The interviews with people have been very emotional, with grown men shedding tears thinking about the night over 30 years ago. Death has also been an obstacle. In the decades that have passed, many important subjects involved in the incident have died including: Judge Dennis Knapp, Attorney Edward Eardley, Attorney Thomas Trent, Attorney Bob Bland, Attorney Buddy Covert, Investigator Cecil Harold, biker Donnie Hill, neighbors/eyewitnesses and law enforcement officials. When I began meeting the bikers from BOTW and The Bootleggers I learned how this event affected each of them differently. Some can laugh at it now, while others still cry recalling the night. Some moved on quickly while others became suicidal and abused drugs and alcohol. I have learned that one thing they all have in common is their love for the open ride and riding. Once I began talking to residents I found out that this was not an isolated event; but instead police brutality is an issue that many people in Lincoln County dealt with and continue to deal with. Neighbors and residents have discussed with me the power the state police and court system has over helpless residents, mainly the poor who can t defend themselves. There is no way around it, this story had to be told. I hope this film will give voice to the bikers and the Lincoln County residents who are brave enough to speak out. Secondly, I hope the issue of police brutality by members of the West Virginia State Police will be re-examined and taken more seriously by the court system and media. What happened, from my understanding through the production of this film, should have never happened; yet it seems it still happens on a smaller scale today. I (304) I [email protected] 9

10 FILMMAKER BIOS Elaine McMillion (Director/ Producer/Editor) McMillion is an award-winning journalist who uses storytelling techniques gained through writing, in addition to experience in research, audio/video production and photography, to express a story visually through film. McMillion has over four years of experience writing, producing, shooting and editing for various mediums across platforms. After graduating with a BS in News Editorial Journalism from West Virginia University and working in the field of newspapers for three years, McMillion left the world of journalism to pursue a career in non-fiction film. As a filmmaker, McMillion s short and feature works focus on unique individuals with striking stories who represent contemporary social and cultural issues. She is the co-director and co-producer of The Lower 9, a film about the culture and community of the lower ninth ward of New Orleans, five years after Hurricane Katrina. In 2010, she entered the Masters of Fine Arts program for Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College. She is currently a freelance video editor and producer in Boston, Ma. Justin Gillispie (Co-Producer) Gillispie is a photographer and sculpture artist from West Virginia. Gillipie originated the idea for the film after hearing the store from a co-worker involved in the massacre. He graduated from Marshall University with a degree in Fine Arts Photography and his artwork, including sculptures and photographs, has been featured at art shows across the state. I (304) I [email protected] 10

11 Film examines controversial 1980 beating in Lincoln County, W.Va. After two years of production, a historical documentary investigating an incident between two motorcycle clubs and the West Virginia State Police will premiere at the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival in September. Boston, MA (September 6, 2011) Independent filmmaker, Elaine McMillion, started filming what is now known as Lincoln County Massacre in 2009 while working as a journalist in Charleston, West Virginia. Over the past two years, McMillion interviewed over 20 people including nine motorcyclists, three attorneys, two jurors and seven Lincoln County residents to piece together details about what exactly happened in 1980 at the White House Tavern in the Bear Creek community of Lincoln County. But after spending several months making phone calls and sending letters to retired members of the West Virginia State Police, the governor s office and public relations officials at the state agency, all declined to comment on the incident. Through historical and contemporary footage, Lincoln County Massacre tells the story of the hours leading up to April 19, 1980, the three years that followed, and police brutality in West Virginia today. The documentary retraces the events that led to the arrest of 15 people, the hospitalization of three and a federal lawsuit against the State Police. The film focuses on the members who founded the Brothers of the Wheel Motorcycle club in Milton, West Virginia and chronicles how the night in Lincoln County affected those who were present. While the film answers what occurred that night, the question of why members of the State Police would brutally beat nearly 20 people many of which were asleep in their tents and sleeping bags still remains a question more than 30 years after the fact. I went into this project trying to dig up both sides of the argument, McMillion said. But the few police that did return my phone calls refused to go on the record and told me that I would never get anyone to talk about the incident. It was obvious that this was something that was brushed under the rug. In the end, McMillion realized how important it was, from a civil rights perspective, to represent the biker s point of view a viewpoint that the general public does not normally experience. Patrick Felton, director of the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival, saw the value of this perspective and named Lincoln County Massacre as an official selection for the documentary feature competition of the festival, which runs from September 29 to October 2. Lincoln County Massacre is schedule to premiere Friday, September 30 at 6 p.m. at the Elk Theatre, located at 192 Main Street in Sutton, West Virginia. This was a deeply competitive submission process this year, and we can honestly say that the film was among the cream of the crop, Felton said. Now in its eleventh year, the West Virginia Filmmakers Festival is the state s only film festival dedicated to the exhibition of films made by, for, and with West Virginia. Admission is $5 per screening or $20 for a festival pass. Tickets and Festival Passes are available for purchase during the festival at WVFF Headquarters at the Elk Hotel or online at The film was directed, produced and edited by Elaine McMillion and co-produced by Alum Creek resident, Justin Gillispie. McMillion is an award-winning journalist who uses storytelling techniques gained through writing, in addition to experience in research, audio/video production and photography, to express a story visually through film. After graduating with a BS in News Editorial Journalism from West Virginia University and working in the field of newspapers for three years, McMillion left the world of journalism to pursue a career in non-fiction film. As a filmmaker, McMillion s short and feature works focus on unique individuals with striking stories who represent contemporary social and cultural issues. She is the codirector and co-producer of The Lower 9, a film about the culture and community of the lower ninth ward of New Orleans. In 2010, she entered the Masters of Fine Arts program for Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College. She currently works at Northern Light Productions and is a freelance video editor and producer in Boston, Ma. I (304) I [email protected] 11