In the late summer of 2016, a fatal encounter unfolded outside a Tempe, Arizona sports bar, forever altering the lives of those involved. Richard 'AZ Slick' Garcia, a 25-year-old male and a member of the predominantly Latino Mongols Motorcycle Club, was shot and killed on the evening of August 17th. The incident stemmed from a verbal altercation that began inside the Final Round Sports Bar & Grill and quickly escalated, spilling out into the parking lot.
The confrontation pitted members
of the Mongols against a lone member of the rival Hells Angels Motorcycle Club, Wayne Whitt. As the dispute intensified, Whitt drew a firearm and discharged it multiple times, striking Garcia. The aftermath of the shooting left one man dead and a community on edge. The Tempe Police Department launched an immediate investigation into the violent episode that had shattered the typical weeknight quiet.
In the course of their investigation, authorities interviewed witnesses and reviewed the available evidence. Wayne Whitt claimed that his actions were in self-defense, a response to being outnumbered and physically attacked. Ultimately, the Tempe Police Department declined to press charges against Whitt, concluding that the shooting was justified under the circumstances. While Whitt was not charged, three other members of the Mongols Motorcycle Club who were present during the altercation were taken into custody. The death of Richard 'AZ Slick' Garcia serves as a stark reminder of the long-standing and often violent rivalry between the two motorcycle clubs.
