‘Justice for Jorge Gomez’: March held for protester killed by police
About 50 people marched through downtown Las Vegas on Saturday night to raise awareness about the fatal shooting of Jorge Gomez a little more than a year ago by police.
Gomez, 25, was shot June 1 by Las Vegas police officers while armed with multiple guns during a Black Lives Matter demonstration. The shooting occurred on the third straight night of protests in Las Vegas, sparked by the May 2020 murder of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody.
“We came out here tonight to let the police know the pressure is still on,” marcher Jayla Johnson said. “We still want justice for Jorge Gomez who was wrongfully slain by the police here in Las Vegas.”
Last month, the Clark County district attorney’s office said the four officers who shot Gomez would not be charged in the shooting. Authorities have said that Gomez, who was armed with three guns and wearing a ballistics vest on the night of the protest, had raised one of the weapons at a group of police officers, prompting the shooting. Shortly before Gomez was shot, it was broadcast on Metro’s radio channels that a Las Vegas police officer was shot in the head at another Black Lives Matter demonstration outside Circus Circus.
Saturday night’s march started near Downtown Container Park before going to the Fremont Street Experience on a path that eventually led them to the Lloyd George U.S. Courthouse on Las Vegas Boulevard. Organizer Desiree Smith led the marchers while holding a megaphone, saying, “We are marching for him.”
“June 1 marked a year since he was killed, and (this shows) that we are still going to push regardless of whether the DA chooses to indict the officers,” Smith said.
The march was peaceful and unfolded without incident. Several wore shirts with the words “Justice for Jorge Gomez.”
District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a written ruling announcing that no charges would be filed that “there is no factual or legal basis upon which to charge, unless new circumstances come to light which contradict the factual foundation upon which this decision is made.”
That decision frustrated marcher Laura Signorelli, who questioned Saturday night why there is no video to support the police account of the shooting.
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter
