Opinion ID: 5134847
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Shooting at White Castle

Text: After losing track of Gordon, Bierenga provided dispatch with a physical description of Gordon and a description of the make and color of Gordon’s car. Approximately fifteen minutes later, Bierenga spotted a BMW in line at the White Castle drive-thru that looked like Gordon’s. At this time, Gordon was at the drive-thru window paying for his order. Another car was parked in line about three feet behind him. The following events are visible on the White Castle drive-thru surveillance camera located inside the kitchen pointing toward the window. At approximately 6:24 p.m., Gordon can be seen pulling into the White Castle drive-thru window. During this time, Gordon engaged in a transaction with the cashier and appeared to be acting normally. The video is not clear enough to see whether Gordon is exhibiting signs of intoxication. A few seconds after Gordon handed money to the cashier, Bierenga pulled into the White Castle and parked at a diagonal angle directly in front of Gordon’s BMW, leaving a few feet between the two cars. The angle at which Bierenga pulled in effectively blocked Gordon’s car in between Bierenga’s car and the car behind Gordon in the drive-thru line. Bierenga exited his vehicle and walked toward the passenger side of Gordon’s vehicle, with Gordon watching him. Bierenga then walked back around to the front of Gordon’s car with his weapon drawn, in the few feet of space between his vehicle and Gordon’s car. As Bierenga walked back directly in front of Gordon’s car, Gordon looked back over his right shoulder and reversed his car quickly. Gordon’s car jolted as it bumped the car behind him in the drive thru. Bierenga positioned himself between the front of Gordon’s car and the driverside rear door of his police vehicle. Gordon then began to accelerate forward with his wheels turned toward the rear of Bierenga’s vehicle. As Gordon started driving forward toward Bierenga, Bierenga moved to his right and out of the direct path of Gordon’s vehicle. Bierenga can be heard repeatedly yelling, “stop!” as Gordon moved forward. The front of Gordon’s car then crashed into the back left wheel of Bierenga’s car while Bierenga stood to the driver’s side of Gordon’s car—stuck between Gordon’s car, his police car, and the White Castle wall. No. 20-2013 Gordon v. Bierenga Page 5 Gordon then began to back up again as if to complete a three-point turn to maneuver around Bierenga’s vehicle. He positioned the front of his car toward the opening behind Bierenga’s vehicle. Bierenga then walked directly up to Gordon’s rolled-down driver window, his left foot level with the driver door, pointing his gun directly at Gordon. Gordon backed up several feet more and turned his wheels to the right, away from Bierenga. As Gordon backed up, Bierenga stayed to the side of the vehicle and walked closer to Gordon’s driver’s side window with his gun pointed. Gordon then pulled forward, heading away from the White Castle and toward the opening behind Bierenga’s vehicle to flee around it. As Gordon accelerated forward, Bierenga yelled “stop” and fired four shots at Gordon through the driver’s side of the car. Bierenga’s dash cam captured Gordon’s car driving around the White Castle and toward the street after he was shot. Once Gordon drove around Bierenga’s car, Bierenga got back in his vehicle and followed Gordon out of the White Castle and onto the street, headed back toward the direction of the original traffic stop. As Bierenga followed, Gordon picked up speed and then began to slow down after a block. Gordon then presumably began to lose consciousness, drifted across the center lane, and crashed into a car travelling the opposite direction. Gordon was subsequently transported to the hospital, where he died. Gordon suffered two gunshot wounds, one to his left arm and chest and another to his right arm. Gordon’s toxicology report indicated that he had a blood alcohol content of .27 at the time of death. Bierenga testified that he shot Gordon “to stop [him] from hitting and killing me or hurting me,” and that he believed he was “in direct line of harm at the time that [Bierenga] discharged [his] gun.” R. 58-3, PageID 848.