Security guard in Oregon accused of killing man in Lowe’s parking lot pleads not guilty

By DREW MARINE

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    PORTLAND, Oregon (KPTV) — The security guard accused of shooting and killing a man in north Portland in a Lowe’s parking lot appeared in court for the first time Friday afternoon.

Logan Gimbel, 28, is now charged with second degree murder, some weapons charges and reckless endangerment in the death of 49-year-old Freddy Nelson.

Friday’s arraignment at the Justice Center comes after a Multnomah County grand jury returned the murder indictment against Gimbel on Thursday.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to prosecutors Gimbel was working as a private security guard around Delta Park on May 29 when he shot Nelson while Nelson was sitting in his truck in the parking lot off North Hayden Meadows Drive.

Some of Freddy Nelson’s family listened in on the video feed as the judge read Gimbel’s charges.

Gimbel’s mother, Tabetha Griffin, was in the courtroom Friday and told FOX 12 that all of the facts of the case haven’t been shared yet and claimed her son fired his gun in self-defense.

“As any mother, any family member, it’s very very hard to see your child, you know they’ve grown up and never been in any trouble, served in the military and all that, and it come to this,” Griffin said.

Meanwhile Nelson’s son, who FOX 12 spoke with on the phone Thursday, said he’s grateful justice is being served.

“I personally have been waiting for this moment I think we all have, I was definitely relieved, kind of a weight off my shoulders. He just didn’t deserve to go this way he was a good guy,” Kiono Nelson said.

Gimbel is set to be back in court in January.

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