Father Says Slain Man Despondent

The father of the man shot and killed by Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies Saturday said his son was drunk and despondent over his mother’s critical illness when he allegedly brandished an assault rifle at officers.

John Gault, 73, said his son, Mark Gault, was an excellent marksman and suggested that he fired at deputies out of a death wish.

“He was a good shot,” John Gault said. “If he wanted to hit any of the police, he could have.”

Mark Gault, 37, was killed by a shotgun blast by deputies after he came out to the Canyon Country street with an assault rifle and two handguns.