Family of Oregon Man Shot and Killed by Security Guard Awarded $20 Million in Damages

A $20 million damages award has been handed down by a Multnomah County Court jury of nine men and three women for the gunning down of Freddy Nelson Jr. in the car park of the rundown Delta Park Center, Portland, on May 29, 2021.

The Portland commercial real estate development company, TMT, and its private security firm, Cornerstone Security, face the $20 million settlement payment – $10 million in non-economic damages payable to Nelson’s parents and three adult sons and a further $10 million payable to his widow, Kari Nelson.

The jury also found that the security guard convicted of Nelson’s death, Logan Gimbel, and the security company for which he worked, Cornerstone, were reckless.

TMT Discovered that its Security Company was Operating from an Apartment

The jury found that TMT had not acted recklessly by hiring Cornerstone Security, a company they believed to be reputable, only to discover later that Cornerstone operated from an apartment in Wilsonville.

Cornerstone’s attorney argued that security guards had been properly trained by the company and were not responsible for Gimbel going rogue.

The court heard that during the pandemic, Nelson Jr. earned a living by collecting broken wooden pallets from the loading dock of Lowe’s, the home improvement chain situated at the Delta Park Center. The broken pallets were sold to a recycler.

The Couple Wanted to do Some Shopping

On the morning of May 29, 2021, Nelson and his wife drove to the Delta Park Center to do some shopping when they were stopped by the security guard, Gimbel, who instructed the couple to leave the premises before thrusting a can of pepper spray into the cab of their truck.

Gimbel shot and killed Nelson as his truck lurched forward.

The court heard that Nelson was banned from the Delta Park Center after TMT became aware of the ‘under-the-table’ working arrangement he had with Lowe’s. Cornerstone Security had also prohibited Nelson from the Delta Park Center.

The jury found that TMT, owners of the Delta Part Center, was 80% responsible for the negligent conduct and that Lowe’s and Nelson were each 10% responsible for negligent conduct.

Punitive damages for Gimble and Cornerstone Security will be argued by their legal representatives to Circuit Judge Leslie Bottomly this week.

Gimbel is in custody at the Eastern Oregon Correctional Institute. He did not participate in the trial due to an ongoing criminal appeal.

The jurors took eight hours to reach a verdict.