Eau Claire firefighter murder trial: Rigoberto Gomez takes the stand

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich.-- Rigoberto Gomez took the stand in his own murder trial Tuesday. Gomez is accused of shooting and killing off-duty Eau Claire firefighter, 36-year-old Chad Medlin, in the early hours of Nov. 2, 2024.

Day five in court began with Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kate Arnold calling Berrien County Lieutenant Thad Chartrand back up to the stand. Arnold played the “condensed” surveillance footage for the jury, compiled from the cameras of neighboring businesses.

Up next to the stand was Berrien County Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Patrick Hansma, who performed Medlin’s autopsy. He found one gunshot wound in Medlin’s abdomen that exited out his back. His blood-alcohol level was 0.166 at his time of death, Hansma said, but it did not contribute to his death. He said Medlin's cause of death was the gunshot wound and his manner of death was homicide.

The prosecution’s 30th and final witness was Detective Sgt. Joseph Kovac of the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office. He created a PowerPoint report of the cellular data he analyzed in the case. He follows Gomez’s phone and uses AT&T cell phone tower footage to trace Gomez’s path after the shooting from Eau Claire to Millburg to Coloma, as testified by previous witnesses.

The prosecution rested its case at 11:51 am, and Berrien County Judge Gary Bruce had the jury break for lunch.

After the lunch break, it was the defense’s turn to lay out their case.

Defense Attorney Caleb Grimes waived his opportunity, again, to make an opening statement. He called his first and only witness: Rigoberto Gomez.

Before the jury was called back into the courtroom, Grimes asked Gomez on the record about his understanding of what testifying would mean. For example, testifying might mean admitting to his firearm charge. Gomez still chose to testify.

Gomez told his version of the story; he was minding his own business, but Chad Medlin and a woman he was hanging out with at the bar started antagonizing him, calling him a woman-beater, etc.

After the bar closed down, he walked by his ex's home, since she wasn't answering his phone calls. Then, he walks back by the bar, thinking it was cleared out. That’s where he ran back into the group that had been antagonizing him at the Hometown Bar and Grill.

On the stand, Gomez said he ran into Leonardo DeMarco, who apparently said, “he’s going to [expletive] kill you,” then Mitchell approached, also yelling. Gomez said he pulled his gun but kept walking. He rounded the corner and saw the full group of people, including Medlin. He said he felt trapped, like they were closing in on him.

"I was cornered into doing something that I didn't want to do," Gomez said on the stand. "I got surrounded, I had no option but to defend myself. And now I'm in shock about it. I'm in disbelief."

Eventually, Medlin pushes his buddy out of the way and seemingly lunges toward Gomez, so Gomez admits he shot his gun at that point. Of course, the bullet hit Medlin through-and-through, and apparently also lodged into DeMarco's arm.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Kate Arnold points out that Gomez testified he needed to use his buddy’s phone that night to call another friend because his phone died. However, the cell phone data shows his phone is alive until 1:40, and Gomez didn’t have an answer for that, he said he didn't know where his phone was amid all the commotion.

The defense had no further evidence to admit, and rested its case at 4:12 pm Tuesday.

Trial resumes Wednesday morning with jury instruction, closing arguments, and then jury deliberations can begin.