The family of a 65-year-old man who was killed by Orange County sheriff's deputies during a dispute with a contractor in a retirement community has filed a federal lawsuit.
The suit filed Wednesday by Paul Mono's widow and daughters says deputies fired on Mono's Laguna Woods condo without speaking with a witness who could have explained Mono was blind and not dangerous.
"We moved to Laguna Woods Village because we thought we’d be safe there,” Sue Peck, Mono’s wife, said in a statement. "Instead, the Sheriff’s Deputies came and took everything away from us. We were minding our own business in our home. Paul wasn’t a threat to anyone. There was no reason this had to happen, and we want justice."
The Orange County District Attorney's office previously found deputies were justified in shooting as they saw Mono reach for a handgun inside the condo.
The incident occurred in February 2018 amid a dispute between Mono and a contractor. A contractor who was on the phone listening in on the argument called 911. Family lawyers say five deputies showed up, and Mono was struck six times by gunfire.
The sheriff's department declined to comment on pending litigation.
Mono was a syndicated cartoonist who was published in the Los Angeles Times, his family said. His artwork can be found here.
