On June 1, 2020, Jorge A. Gomez, Jr., a peaceful protester, was fatally shot by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers during a demonstration.

What followed has been a tense, painstaking legal battle, a struggle to make sense of the conflicting accounts, and a fight for accountability in the shadow of systemic failures.

Jorge’s family, through co-special administrators Jeanne Llera and Jorge L. Gomez, filed a lawsuit against the LVMPD and several officers involved, including John Squeo, Ryan Fryman, Dan Emerton, Vernon Ferguson, and Andrew Locher.

Their goal: to uncover the truth of what happened that night and to hold those responsible accountable.

The case has moved slowly through the court system. Initial complaints were filed in August 2020, amended in February 2021, and discovery — the process of gathering documents, witness statements, and expert testimony — has been exhaustive.

Multiple extensions were necessary as witnesses came forward, expert schedules were tight, and the complexity of the case grew.

What Happened on June 1?

Per court attendee testimony, Officer Colin Schneider, one of the first on the scene, testified that he never saw Jorge holding a weapon.

He did not issue commands because he was wearing a gas mask, which limited his hearing and visibility.

Despite being in close proximity, he stated Jorge never posed a threat to him. This raises serious questions about the decisions made in the chaotic moments that followed.

Vernon Ferguson, the officer who fired the first lethal shot, claimed he believed Jorge was firing at officers — even though he never actually saw him fire a weapon.

Ferguson admitted he gave only a single verbal warning and left cover to “protect his fellow officers.” Yet video evidence suggests Jorge was running away, unarmed, when lethal force was applied.

Ferguson’s testimony contained contradictions with his prior statements and the evidence on record, highlighting troubling gaps in situational awareness and judgment.

Andrew Locher, another officer, was positioned hundreds of feet away. He admitted he never saw Jorge holding a rifle in both hands; he stated he heard the broadcast over the radio about the Circus Circus shooting, and admitted he did not believe Jorge had anything to do with the shooting, but fired a lethal round nonetheless.

He did not issue or hear verbal warnings, relying instead on assumptions about what he perceived as a threat. The rifle remained across Jorge’s body as he fell, according to his own testimony.

Patterns of Misjudgment

Across multiple officers’ testimonies, patterns emerge: conflicting accounts, incomplete situational awareness, and the use of lethal force without clear verbal commands or warnings.

Bean bag rounds, meant to de-escalate, were deployed inconsistently, and their presence was not announced. Officers described fear and tunnel vision, yet decisions were made that led directly to Jorge’s death.

The jury has seen videos from multiple angles, and the inconsistencies in officer statements have been stark.

Ferguson appeared visibly uncomfortable on the stand, showing the tension between the official narrative and what the evidence reveals.

This is more than a legal battle. It is a fight to ensure that Jorge Gomez is not reduced to a statistic or a hashtag.

Every testimony, every document, and every deposition contributes to a broader understanding of what happened.