Royal Oak Police Shooting Of Antonino Gordon Ruled Justified

ROYAL OAK, MI — The fatal shooting of Antonino Gordon by a Royal Oak Police Officer has been deemed justifiable after an investigation by the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office. Gordon, 28, was gunned down by Officer Keith Bierenga in a White Castle drive-thru in April, sparking outrage in the community.

WDIV reported that Bierenga blocked the vehicle with his patrol car and approached Gordon with his service weapon drawn while Gordon "quickly put his vehicle in reverse, smashing into the vehicle directly behind him and then accelerated forward narrowly missing the officer, who had to jump out the way," investigators said.

As Gordon was ramming his vehicle out of the blockade, officer Bierenga fired his weapon, striking Gordon. He crashed his vehicle about a half-mile away and was later pronounced dead.

Investigators said autopsy reports indicate Gordon's bodily alcohol content was three times the legal limit and tested positive for marijuana.

The shooting has been ruled justified due to Michigan's "Self Defense Act," which states an individual may use deadly force against another when they "honestly and reasonably believe the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent imminent death," or or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another individual.

Michigan law allows deadly force to be used in making an arrest when the "arresting person is met with force or when deadly force is required to prevent the person being arrested from fleeing."

Royal Oak Police Shooting Justified by Jessica Strachan on Scribd

Police said Gordon had fled when they tried to pull him over 15 minutes prior to his death, but it's unclear why shots were fired when police met back up with him at the fast-food restaurant. Gordon was in the driver's seat when he was shot and drove several blocks down 13 Mile before dying behind the wheel, just a block and a half from his apartment.

An official with the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office said after his death that Gordon died from "gunshot wounds," but would not say exactly how many. Eye-witnesses told media this week that four to five shots were fired in the altercation that took place at 6:30 p.m. April 10 near 13 Mile and Coolidge Highway.

Authorities all along maintained that Gordon had prior police encounters and a warrant out for his arrest, but the family disputed that police knew that before shooting Gordon since he was driving someone else's vehicle at the time of the incident.

"The police are trying to smear this young man with a prior alleged history that has nothing to do with that incident,"said Joseph Dedvukaj, attorney and uncle of Gordon's wife, after the shooting. "They could not have possibly known anything about him to use that as a justification."

Per department policy, the officer, who was not injured in the incident, was placed on administrative leave. The Royal Oak Police Department is scheduled to make an announcement about the outcome of the case Wednesday afternoon.

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