211 Crew
 211 Crew emblem | |
| Founded | 1995 |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Denver, Colorado, United States |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Territory | Colorado and Texas |
| Ethnicity | White American |
| Membership (est.) | 1,000[1] |
| Activities | Murder, weapons trafficking, drug trafficking, robbery, assault |
| Notable members | Michael Collins |
The 211 Crew, is an American prison gang, active both in and out of prison, that was formed in 1995 at Colorado's Denver County Jail.[2][3] It was linked to several high-profile murders and criminal investigations. Those included the assassination of Colorado Department of Corrections head Tom Clements. Due to a threatening letter sent by a Texas Aryan Brotherhood member, it was suspected to be linked to similar assassinations of Texas district attorney Mike McLelland, and his assistant prosecutor Mark Hasse, but a former Justice of the Peace was eventually indicted for those murders.[4][5][6][7]
Formation
[edit]The gang was formed in 1995 after founding member Benjamin Davis was beaten and nearly killed in a racially motivated attack by a black inmate. Davis was jumped and beaten with a sock stuffed full of soap bars, resulting in a badly broken jaw. Davis decided to form a gang in order to protect himself, and other white inmates, from the black and Latino gangs. 211 Crew began as a deception to fool black and Latino gangs into thinking that a white gang was present to protect white inmates. As the rumor grew within the institution, men soon started asking about membership and 211 Crew became a prison gang. As members got released they started recruiting on the street level.[4][5]
Notable incidents
[edit]In 1997, African immigrant Oumar Dia was murdered by 211 Crew gang members while waiting for a bus in Denver.[4]
In 2013, 211 Crew member Evan Spencer Ebel, murdered a local pizza delivery man in order to use his work clothes and paraphernalia as a disguise. Ebel then drove to the home of Colorado Department of Corrections head Tom Clements and called at the door, under the ruse of delivering a pizza. When Clements answered, Ebel shot him several times. After murdering Clements on the steps of his own home, Ebel immediately fled; authorities finally caught up to him on a Texas highway, possibly on his way to Mexico. Ebel refused to surrender and engaged in a protracted, high speed car chase with pursuing law enforcement officers. The pursuit came to an end after Ebel crashed into a gravel truck. Following the accident, Ebel began a gunfight with police, being shot multiple times in the process. Ebel was taken to the hospital, but never regained consciousness and was removed from life support the following day.[4][8]
References
[edit]- ^ Colorado prison officials have banished 211 Crew leaders across U.S. But are they spreading white supremacist seeds? Archived 2021-01-17 at the Wayback Machine Kirk Mitchell, The Denver Post (September 7, 2017)
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "211 Crew | ADL". Archived from the original on 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
- ^ a b c d Mitchell, Kirk (26 March 2013). "211 Crew prison gang's violent culture roils behind, beyond bars". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
- ^ a b Ryan Parker (21 March 2013). "211 Crew, supremacist group, involved in high-profile crimes". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
- ^ "Kaufman County, Texas, on edge after 2 prosecutors killed". CNN.com. April 2013. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
- ^ McClelland Archives Archived 2014-04-14 at the Wayback Machine, Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
- ^ MITCHELL, KIRK (16 March 2017). "White supremacist gang conspired to kill Colorado prisons director, new documents allege". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.