Officers on the stand this week told jurors they saw protester Jorge Gomez lift a rifle at them before they opened fire, testimony that has become the central question in a federal civil trial over his death. Gomez, 25, was shot outside the Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse during downtown demonstrations on June 1, 2020. The case centers on whether the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department's response that night — including a short burst of gunfire that left Gomez dead — was reasonable.
Sgt. Ryan Fryman and officers Dan Emerton, Andrew Locher and Vernon Ferguson all took the stand, saying they believed Gomez had pointed a weapon and that they needed to respond. The officers fired a combined 19 rounds in less than three seconds, and Clark County prosecutors later declined to press criminal charges. According to Las Vegas Review-Journal, jurors have been focused on whether Gomez actually aimed his rifle.
What officers told jurors
Ferguson and Locher testified Gomez turned and pointed a rifle at them, and Emerton told jurors, "The weapon turns in my direction and now I see the muzzle coming in my direction," before opening fire. Emerton said he fired four rounds in roughly two seconds because he believed Gomez intended to kill him, and Fryman told the court he saw the gun rise and "I didn't want to die." Defense lawyers urged jurors to view the officers' actions as split‑second decisions made under chaotic conditions. Las Vegas Review-Journal
Family's version and evidence
Gomez's family has pushed a sharply different account, releasing multiple surveillance clips and saying the footage doesn't show him leveling a weapon. Lawyers for the family wrote in court filings that he "never pointed a gun at anyone," and they contend that a detective's earlier use of a beanbag shotgun sent Gomez running into the line of fire. The family's claims and the video releases were documented by Nevada Current.
Night: Circus Circus, a shot and confusion
Jurors heard that an officer had been shot near Circus Circus earlier that evening, a detail defense witnesses said heightened fear and confusion among responding units. Plaintiffs maintain that less‑lethal beanbag rounds fired at Gomez were captured on video and may have set off the chain of events that led to the lethal response. Local reporting and courtroom accounts lay out that sequence and note officers directly involved did not have body cameras. FOX5
Legal stakes and what jurors will decide
The family filed a federal lawsuit against Metro and the officers seeking damages, and jurors will be asked to weigh whether the officers' use of force violated Gomez's constitutional rights. Clark County prosecutors chose not to file criminal charges, and a district attorney's review described the officers' actions as "reasonable and legally justified," language used in local reporting. The civil trial's outcome could affect questions about training, crowd‑control tactics and the use of body‑worn cameras in major protests; jurors are expected to continue hearing testimony this week. FOX5 and Nevada Current
