Las Vegas jurors possibly ‘deadlocked’ in trial over police killing of armed protester

A judge said Thursday that jurors appeared to be “deadlocked” during a second day of deliberations in a federal civil trial over the 2020 police killing of an armed protester.

Despite that interpretation, U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware has not declared a mistrial and jurors have indicated a desire to continue deliberations.

Black Lives Matter protester Jorge Gomez, then 25, was fatally shot on the third night of protests over the murder of George Floyd.

The Clark County district attorney’s office decided not to prosecute the four Metropolitan Police Department officers who fired on Gomez: Ryan Fryman, Dan Emerton, Andrew Locher and Vernon Ferguson.

Gomez’s family sued the officers and the Metropolitan Police Department, leading to the trial.

Whether or not Gomez threatened officers with a rifle was a central issue during the trial.

Officers who fired shots testified that Gomez pointed a rifle at them, but lawyers for Gomez’s family denied that allegation.

A jury began considering the case Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday morning, Boulware told the parties that the jury had asked whether their decision on each charge had to be unanimous or a majority vote.

The judge told the jury the decision must be unanimous.

Later in the day, Boulware said he had received another note asking about the next steps if a jury cannot reach a unanimous decision.

“I understand that to mean that they’re deadlocked,” he said to attorneys.

It was implicit that the jury might be deadlocked, plaintiffs’ attorney Dale Galipo agreed. But, he said, the jurors might also just be posing the question.

The judge raised the possibility of asking the jury to report back their verdict if they were unanimous on any counts. If jurors said they were deadlocked on everything before them, he said, he could declare a mistrial and the case could potentially be retried.

Ultimately, Boulware told the jury that each member must decide the case for themself after considering the evidence impartially, but that they should not be unwilling to change their opinion.

Jurors asked if they could remain at court until 6 p.m., but Boulware told attorneys he would instruct the jury that it would not be possible because of the government shutdown as courthouse staff are not being paid.

The jury is expected to continue their deliberations Monday; some jurors did not have child care on Friday, and Boulware said he would allow them to take the day off.

Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BrighamNoble on X.