News - Local News

POSTED: Thursday, Nov. 20, 2008

Charges dropped against Whatcom County border agents involved in biker fight

Charges have been dropped against two U.S. Customs agents from Whatcom County accused of carrying concealed weapons without permits during an August altercation at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in South Dakota.

Scott Lazalde of Bellingham and James Rector of Ferndale had been charged with carrying a concealed pistol without a permit and an alternative count of failure to abide by a permit of a reciprocal state, according to Meade County, S.D., authorities.

Both men are members of the Iron Pigs Motorcycle Club, which is made up of law enforcement officers and firefighters. Lazalde and Rector work for the Blaine sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The altercation occurred Aug. 9 at the Loud American Roadhouse during the annual motorcycle rally. Hells Angel biker Joseph McGuire, 33, of Imperial Beach, Calif., was shot and injured by Ronald Smith of Seattle, 43, a vacationing off-duty Seattle police detective, authorities said.

Calls to Meade County, S.D., State Attorney Jesse Sondreal who is handling the case, and Smith's attorney, Robert Van Norman, were not returned Thursday, Nov. 20.

However, The Seattle Times reported that an aggravated assault charge against Smith was dropped after it was determined he was acting in self-defense.

Also, a Meade County judge ruled that the officers, including Lazalde and Rector, were protected under a federal law that allows off-duty law-enforcement officers to carry weapons anywhere they want as long as they are not under the influence of drugs or alcohol, according to The Seattle Times.