Family of man shot, killed by officers during downtown protest sues LVMPD
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — On Wednesday, the family of Jorge Gomez, 25, announced that they are filing a lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) and four of its officers in connection with the shooting death of Gomez.
Gomez was shot by LVMPD officers, following a Black Lives Matter protest in Downtown Las Vegas on June 1st. His family is suing the LVMPD and four of its officers, Ryan Fryman, Dan Emerton, Vernon Ferguson and Andrew Locher, for damages.
LVMPD says on June 1st Gomez was armed with three firearms and wearing body armor during a Black Lives Matter protest in front of Lloyd. D George Federal Courthouse. Police say he refused to comply with the officer's commands and pointed his weapon at officers.
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Gomez's family disputes this account. They joined their attorneys, friends, and supporters of Gomez in front of the Federal Courthouse Wednesday morning for a press conference.
The family says the video from the night of June 1st, released by LVMPD, doesn't prove that their use of deadly force was necessary. The family's attorneys, Edgar Flores and Rudolfo Gonzalez question why officers did not have their body cameras recording, and claim, LVMPD's video does not show the whole picture. The attorneys say the 25-year-old was exercising his first amendment right to protest and his right to bear arms. They also claim he didn’t verbally threaten any officers or point his gun at anyone.
Gomez's mother Jeanne Llera is calling on LVMPD to release more footage. She is also calling on the release of surveillance footage from the Federal Courthouse and surrounding businesses. Llera says their family wants justice for their son.
“We are military, my daughter went to West Point, his dad is a K9 officer, my other half manages homeland security at the airport. So we are not anti-cop or anything like that, he was just anti-corruption,“ said Jeanne Llera, Gomez’s mother.
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"They said be strong and tell his story so that’s what we are doing. What I’m asking is that he was there fighting with all you guys, now we are asking the community to come forward and help us,” said Llera.
The family is asking anyone with video to submit it at JusticeforJorgeGomez.com.
