Delaware asks judge to shut down Thunderguards Motorcycle Club

The state and the city of Wilmington have jointly filed a lawsuit against the Thunderguards Motorcycle Club in hopes of shuttering the group’s clubhouse on Northeast Blvd. in Wilmington.

State officials say the clubhouse in the 2800 block of Northeast Blvd. is a hotbed of criminal activity, with at least 15 shootings and five homicides at the location within the last eight years. Attorney General Beau Biden wants to use the state’s criminal nuisance abatement law to shut down club’s activity at the clubhouse.

“Properties like this have shown that we cannot just arrest our way out of crime- we have to get at the root causes of crime, such as the properties that serve as havens for criminal gangs and drug dealers,” Biden said. “Shutting down and cleaning up crime-infested properties makes Delaware communities safer and stronger.”

In the lawsuit, Biden wants the gang to vacate its clubhouse and storage units and stay away from the parking lot. The lawsuit also asks for gang members to be banned from the entire 2800 block of Northeast Blvd.

“We can no longer allow the criminal actions of a few to jeopardize the safety and quality of life for the residents in our neighborhoods,” said Wilmington Mayor Dennis Williams. “Despite the many arrests and enforcement efforts, this property has plagued the community with continued violent criminal activity for years.”

The lawsuit details the violent criminal activity at the club as “ongoing and escalating.”

Biden requested an emergency injunction that would require gang members to immediately vacate the properties while the lawsuit is being investigated because of the ongoing violent activity. A hearing on his emergency petition will be held on May 11 in New Castle County Superior Court.