Sons Of Silence Motorcycle Gang In Williston -- July 14, 2015

The Williston Herald is reporting:

A Williston man was shot early Saturday morning, and another is behind bars after a fight at a house party, police said Monday morning. 

Nash Wollan was charged with aggravated assault, carrying a concealed firearm and terrorizing for allegedly shooting Michael Raphael in an alleyway next to the Sons of Silence repair shop on First Street East. 

Although Wollan claims to be a member of the Sons of Silence, a motorcycle gang known for violence and alleged drug activity, police do not believe Saturday’s shooting was gang-related.

Related:

Being a cop in Williston and Williams County is many things; but the one thing it’s never — boring.

Working in law enforcement in Williston and Williams County has its highs and lows. The non-stop pace and constant exposure to the effects of drug and alcohol abuse can be draining, but if one thing comes easy for police officers here, it’s gaining experience.

Both police officer Kristiina Ravaska and sheriff’s deputy Jason Roberts came from Minnesota to work here. Their expectations were high, and the job delivered.

“I’ve wanted experience and I’ve gotten experience,” Ravaska, 30, said. “All the calls I go on are different.”

New cops here get broken in quickly. With both city and county law enforcement struggling to keep up with a ballooning population, officers are often the ones who see firsthand what can happen when someone hits rock bottom.

“We deal with a lot of people who aren’t from here,” Roberts said. “People who are at the lowest point in their lives - that’s who we’re dealing with.”

According to Job Service North Dakota, 64% of the jobs in Williston are in the oil field, which employs about 15,300 workers. The influx of workers has posed its challenges, police officials say, but at the same time they balk at the Wild West characterization that’s been assigned to the city by media from around the world.

“From what I see these individuals are very hardworking, many of them are trying to save their homes in other parts of the nation,” Lt. Det. David Peterson of the Williston Police Department said. “You have a certain percentage who are going to commit crimes…but I think that Williston has not gotten a fair shake with the national media.”

Great perspective from Detective Peterson.