It looks like jurors in Las Vegas are having a tough time agreeing on what happened the night police shot and killed 25-year-old Jorge Gomez back in 2020.
After two full days of talking it out, the judge said the group appears to be deadlocked.
Still, they want to keep trying, and plan to come back Monday to keep at it.
The case goes back to the chaos that swept through Las Vegas during the George Floyd protests in early June 2020.
Gomez showed up carrying a rifle. Four Metro Police officers (Ryan Fryman, Dan Emerton, Andrew Locher, and Vernon Ferguson) fired their weapons.
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office declined to prosecute, saying the officers’ actions were “reasonable and/or legally justified,” according to official findings.
Gomez’s family disagreed and filed a civil lawsuit against the officers and the department.
Now it’s up to a federal jury to decide whether the officers violated Gomez’s rights.
Inside the Jury Room: What’s Dividing Them
The big question at the center of this case is simple: did Gomez point his rifle at the officers?
The officers say yes. They testified they thought he was about to open fire.
The family’s lawyers say no – that he never raised his gun at anyone.
That single disagreement is what the jury’s been trying to sort out.
On Thursday, the jurors asked if they all had to agree or if they could just go with a majority vote. The judge told them it has to be unanimous.
Later, the court got another note asking what happens if they can’t agree at all. The judge took that as a sign they might be stuck.
He also mentioned that if the group agrees on some claims but not others, he might take a partial verdict.
But if they can’t agree on anything, he could declare a mistrial – meaning they’d have to start the whole thing over again later.
A Funding Lapse Twist
Here’s a fun detail: because of the federal funding lapse, courthouse staff aren’t being paid right now, so the judge said the jurors can’t deliberate past normal hours.
Even in Nevada, hundreds of miles from the Capitol, Washington’s dysfunction still finds a way to slow things down.
The Scale of Justice Weighs Both Sides
Nevada’s law enforcement officers face real danger every day – especially during those tense nights of protest when emotions were sky-high.
If the officers were in danger, they had every right to protect themselves.
At the same time, civil suits like this one are part of the system, too.
Families have the right to seek answers and damages if they believe an injustice was done.
That’s how America works – checks and balances, even in tragedy.
Critics of the police argue that the officers overreacted and used too much force.
Supporters point out that Gomez showed up to a volatile protest armed with a rifle, and officers had to act fast.
What Comes After Monday
The jury will be back on Monday.
If they can agree, we’ll get a verdict. If not, the judge may declare a mistrial and the whole thing could start over.
Law enforcement wants the truth on record, and families want answers. Here’s to hoping they’re able to get both.
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