Opinion ID: 5134847
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Initial Traffic Stop and Vehicular Flight

Text: Around 6:00 p.m. on April 10, 2018, Bierenga turned left onto 13 Mile Road out of a residential neighborhood in Royal Oak, Michigan. He then witnessed a BMW driven by decedent Antonino Gordon merge quickly from the center turn lane into a westbound lane, forcing an oncoming car in this lane to quickly slow to avoid a collision. Bierenga then attempted to initiate a traffic stop. He pursued Gordon for a couple of blocks with police lights activated. Dash cam video shows many cars traveling down 13 Mile Road as Bierenga and Gordon drove by houses and apartment buildings on either side of the road. After failing to pull over for several blocks, Gordon came upon a red light at a busy intersection surrounded by businesses and restaurants. He stopped his car behind several cars waiting at the light, with Bierenga directly behind him. Bierenga then exited his cruiser, approached Gordon’s car, and began speaking to him through the driver’s window. Bierenga testified that, through Gordon’s partially open window, he perceived that Gordon’s skin was pale, his eyes were glassy, and that he was exhibiting signs of being under the influence of something. Bierenga spoke to Gordon for approximately ten seconds at the driver’s side of Gordon’s vehicle while the traffic light remained red. When the light turned green and the traffic ahead of him moved forward, Gordon accelerated away from Bierenga. Bierenga then ran back to his car and told dispatch that the driver fled. Dash cam video shows Gordon turning from the westbound lane into the center turn lane and braking. From the turn lane, Gordon then made a sharp left turn in front of oncoming traffic into a White Castle parking lot, causing the oncoming vehicles to brake. On the dash cam, Gordon can be seen turning left into the parking lot, opposite the designated flow of the drive-thru, and accelerating out of frame as if to drive the wrong way around the parking lot. Bierenga, at this point back in his police car, followed Gordon into the White Castle parking lot. Bierenga circled the parking lot once but could not find Gordon. He then drove through the streets immediately surrounding the White Castle. Bierenga’s dash cam showed heavy traffic on either side of the White Castle parking lot. He did not immediately locate Gordon. No. 20-2013 Gordon v. Bierenga Page 4