A Multnomah County Grand Jury has indicted security guard Logan Gimbel for fatally shooting a man in a North Portland parking lot in May.

Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Thursday that Gimbel, 28, has been charged with murder in the second degree with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm, as well as three misdemeanor charges: recklessly endangering another person and two counts of unlawful use of mace in the second degree.

The shooting took place on the night of May 29 at the Delta Park Center shopping plaza. Gimbel shot Freddy Nelson, 49, through the windshield of Nelson’s Nissan Frontier as Nelson sat in the plaza’s parking lot.

The bodycam footage that surfaced yesterday however sparked a lot of controversies as well as debates about whether the man should receive such a harsh penalty!

Footage from private guard Logan Gimbel’s body camera reveals for the first time how the 60-second encounter transformed from argument to homicide — the apparent result of acrimony and distrust built up over months of conflict between Cornerstone Security Group officers and a man collecting wooden pallets to resell.
In the body camera footage from a Lowe’s parking lot, Gimbel could be heard repeatedly telling Nelson to leave the property.

“You know you’ve been trespassed,” Gimbel said. “You know you’re not supposed to be here.”

When Freddy Nelson and his wife Kari Nelson did not leave, Gimbel sprayed pepper spray into the vehicle. Kari Nelson began screaming at Gimbel and hurling expletives at him.

WATCH (warning: graphic video)

Video below:

** (Disclaimer: This video content is intended for educational and informational purposes only) **

After reviewing the video, firearms instructor and former sworn reserve police officer James Holman told the Oregonian he did not believe Gimbel acted appropriately.

“He’s using a level of force not commensurate with the issue, and he’s using tactics that are completely not congruent with the outcome that he wants,” Holman said. “This is a list of what not to do.”

John Gutbezahl, a lawyer representing Gimbel, said Oregon law allowed Gimbel to use deadly force when faced with felonious behavior, the Oregonian reported.

“Mr. Nelson tried to kill him, or seriously injure him, by use of his vehicle,” Gutbezahl said. “If this isn’t self-defense, we might as well get self-defense taken off the books.”

Cornerstone Security Group issued a trespassing order against Freddy Nelson in April 2021, the Oregonian reported. Nelson had argued he was never told why he was banned from the property.

Social media users have been split in their assessments of the incident.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s has expressed concern over the policing power the underregulated industry has been given.

“Concerns regarding the role of private security, particularly when they are armed, have been a topic of local and national discussion in recent years,” the statement from the DA’s office read. “While armed private security guards can encounter situations where the use of deadly force may be considered lawful, most do not receive the tactical and de-escalation training which is expected of sworn law enforcement”

Source: defiantamerica.com