5 suspected Hells Angels held after Highway 395 shooting

Five men are in jail after one of them allegedly pointed a gun at a motorist before Friday’s shooting on Highway 395.

Few details about the shooting have been released, but five California members of the Hells Angels — Jason A. Marshall, 47; Neal G. Foulger, 55; William D. Smeeton, 47; William I. Maclean, 66; and Michael A. Smullen, 59, are being held in Franklin County jail after one of their fellow members Dennis Donahue, 52, was shot in the leg.

Authorities are holding the men for 72 hours on suspicion of criminal mischief. Two of the men, Foulger and Marshall, are accused of unlawfully possessing a firearm. Washington State Patrol investigators identified the men as Hells Angels by their clothing.

No one is yet charged with any crime related the shooting.

Judge Joe Burrowes set bail at $10,000 for Smeeton, $15,000 for Smullen, $20,000 for Marshall, $30,000 for Maclean and $35,000 for Foulger.

Prosecutor Shawn Sant will decide by Wednesday whether to charge the men or release them.

Authorities point to a witness who reported seeing two groups of motorcycles pass him on northbound Highway 395 as he fixed his vehicle on the side of the highway.

Three of the motorcyclists pulled to the side of the road, and one of them pulled a gun on the witness.

The other two motorcyclists convinced the one with the pistol to stop, investigators said. The three then rode off.

Moments later Donahue, who was wearing body armor at the time, was shot in the leg.

After the witness fixed his vehicle and continued northbound, he saw the same motorcycles from when he was threatened on the side of the highway. He did not identify the men, the pistol or if he saw any evidence of a shooting.

None of the detained men spoke to investigators about the shooting.

Investigators said bullets damaged three motorcycles, and a bloody pistol was found near the scene.

Defense attorney Christine Bennett argued prosecutors didn’t have any reason to hold the five men. She called the witness’ story “tenuous and unsubstaintiated.”

“Simply standing next to somebody who does something threatening does not mean the people who were standing next to him were in any way acting with that person,” she said.

She said that the person who pointed the gun wasn’t identified, and neither were the three men who pulled to the side of the highway.

Sant said prosecutors and investigators know who the witness is and can trust him.

“The initial investigation suggests that before their sixth individual was shot, one of these individuals was seen brandishing a firearm,” he said.

This story was originally published August 21, 2017 at 7:32 PM with the headline "5 suspected Hells Angels held after Highway 395 shooting."