By admin 
PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — The family of Matthew Cardon, who was shot and killed by a Peoria Police officer during what his family describes as a mental health episode, has filed a wrongful death complaint against the Peoria Police Department.
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Prior contact with Cardon
The complaint alleges officers had contact with Cardon three times the day before the shooting, on June 4. Two separate neighbors called police reporting Cardon was in distress. After the first call, officers took Cardon to the hospital, where he later left on his own.
During the second call, records show officers noted they believed it was Cardon based on the earlier contact. Officers knocked on his door, but no one answered and they left.
The third call came from Cardon’s mother, who said he was making suicidal statements. Officers responded but cleared the call, noting Cardon was cooperative.
The day of the shooting
The following day, Cardon was recorded on a nearby home’s camera wearing a blue shirt and approaching a woman and her baby in a stroller. The woman’s husband called police and said Cardon was attacking them.
Cardon’s family said he was unarmed and did not hurt anyone, and that he was acting bizarrely and only frightened the woman.
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Records show the responding officers did not activate their body cameras. Radio traffic indicates an officer shot Cardon multiple times within seconds of arriving at the scene.
Body-camera and K-9 allegations
The complaint accuses officers of not activating their body cameras until after the shooting. A second officer named in the complaint is accused of releasing a K-9 that bit Cardon after he was already on the ground and handcuffed.
Cardon died at the hospital.
Peoria Police officials said they would not comment on the legal filing.
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