LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Division was ordered to pay $6.5 million after a federal jury discovered two officers liable within the 2020 capturing of an armed man at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest.
Two Metro officers had been discovered liable and three others weren’t.
Protester Jorge Gomez, 25, was shot by police after being noticed with a rifle within the downtown space. Nineteen rounds had been fired at him. Solely two of the officers had been discovered liable within the lawsuit filed by Gomez’s dad and mom after the district lawyer’s workplace did not prosecute them.
Jorge Gomez was shot and killed by 4 LVMPD law enforcement officials throughout a Black Lives Matter demonstration on June 1, 2020. (KLAS)
In accordance with federal court docket paperwork, jurors discovered Metro officer Ryan Fryman, who was a sergeant on the time of the capturing, accountable for extreme drive and battery claims in Gomez’s demise, leading to $5 million in compensatory damages.
Metro Detective John Squeo was discovered accountable for violating Gomez’s First Modification rights, leading to $1.5 million in compensatory damages. Nevertheless, he was discovered not accountable for extreme drive and battery, paperwork said.
Jury orders LVMPD to pay $6.5M to household of man killed throughout 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, data present
Officers Andrew Locher, Dan Emerton, and Vernon Ferguson, who fired rounds at Gomez, had been additionally discovered not liable within the case.
No punitive damages had been awarded within the case. The cash was awarded to Gomez’s dad and mom and the Jorge Gomez property.
The ten-day trial went to the jury for deliberations on Thursday afternoon and once more on Monday morning. After sending some inquiries to the decide, the jury reached its choice round 2:30 p.m.
