A lawsuit against the City of Santa Maria and police over a deadly officer-involved shooting has been dismissed in federal court.
The family of Javier Garcia Gaona, Jr. filed the wrongful death lawsuit against the city, police department and several officers last year. Gaona was shot and killed during a standoff with police in July 2016.
Police shot Gaona when he lunged at officers with a large knife. The Santa Barbara County District Attorney determined the shooting was justified.
This July, a federal judge dismissed the suit. The family’s lawyers say they’ll be refiling the lawsuit in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. They say the family is still mourning the loss of their son.
