Police on trial in fatal Las Vegas shooting of armed Black Lives Matter protester

An attorney for the family of an armed Black Lives Matter protester fatally shot by Las Vegas police says officers used unnecessary force.

The lawyer representing the officers who fired on him says police acted in self-defense.

Both sides delivered opening statements Tuesday in a federal civil trial over the 2020 death of Jorge Gomez, who was 25.

“The shooting officers overreacted,” said attorney Dale Galipo, who represents Gomez’s parents. “They had heard what had happened at Circus Circus. They were upset.”

In an incident just before the shooting of Gomez, an officer had been shot outside of Circus Circus.

The Clark County district attorney’s office decided not to prosecute the four Metropolitan Police Department officers who shot at Gomez: Ryan Fryman, Dan Emerton, Andrew Locher and Vernon Ferguson. The group fired 19 rounds in less than three seconds.

Galipo said the incident happened June 1, 2020, in front of the federal court where the trial is being held. It was the third night of protests over the murder of George Floyd.

‘Excessive and unreasonable’

The plaintiffs’ side believes the evidence will show the use of a beanbag shotgun on Gomez was excessive and caused him to run, said Galipo. The shots fired by officers were also “excessive and unreasonable,” he said.

Protesters had a right to carry guns, said Galipo, who told jurors Gomez approached the courthouse with his rifle slung over his shoulder and pointed down.

Gomez did not try to harm officers, but officer John Squeo decided he should be arrested, said Galipo. Squeo was stationed on the courthouse steps. Squeo has said he saw Gomez move his hands and fired a beanbag shotgun at Gomez, said the family’s attorney.

Gomez began to run, according to Galipo. Officers on the other side of the street saw him running and heard rounds, so they shot him, believing he was involved in a shooting, the attorney argued.

Galipo said Gomez was hit multiple times, including as he fell to the ground and after he was on the ground.

‘Forced to react’

Craig Anderson, a lawyer representing the officers who fired shots, said the group did not know what had occurred at the courthouse.

“They were going to be forced to react to that situation in real time with no facts,” Anderson told the jury.

Gomez did not obey a directive from Ferguson to stop, said Anderson.

“He raised his rifle across his body in their direction,” Anderson said, and the officers then fired in unison.

The rifle pointing, Anderson argued, was what precipitated the shooting, not what happened at the courthouse steps or at Circus Circus. He said the officers stopped firing when Gomez fell to the ground.

The Metro detective who investigated the shooting previously said at a fact-finding review that video footage did not support claims Gomez leveled a weapon.

Lawyers for Gomez’s family have said in court documents that “he never pointed a gun at anyone.”

Daniel McNutt, Squeo’s attorney, emphasized in his opening statement that his client used only non-lethal force.

Officers told Gomez to leave because of a dispersal order, said McNutt. When he repeatedly started walking and then paused, officers decided to arrest him for not complying with the order, according to McNutt.

An officer approached Gomez to make the arrest and Squeo saw Gomez raise what he thought was a bat, but turned out to be a rifle, McNutt said, describing the rifle as “being leveled” at the other officer.

“My client used the least amount of force to stop the assault on his fellow officer,” McNutt told jurors.

Squeo testified Tuesday that he did not arrest prior protesters. He said he had given Gomez commands like: “Keep moving” and “You’ve been given a dispersal order.”

He used the bean bag shotgun because he believed Gomez was about to strike his colleague with a deadly weapon, not because Gomez failed to disperse, he testified.

Squeo also said when he last saw Gomez, the protester was running and holding his rifle, which was pointed at other protesters.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal previously reported that Squeo — who was addressed as a detective in court — resigned from Metro after a disorderly conduct case.

Grieving father wants closure

Jorge Gomez, Gomez’s father, said before opening statements that he has relived his son’s death every day.

“Right now, all I want is closure or at least close to closure,” he said. “This has taken a toll.”

By the end of the day, someone had scrawled messages in sidewalk chalk outside the federal courthouse that were aimed at the case.

“LVMPD’S MURDERERS ARE INSIDE THIS BUILDING,” one read.

“#JUSTICE FOR JORGE GOMEZ,” said another.

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