Parents Call Police Actions Excessive in Christmas Day Shooting

PALO ALTO-The father of William David Raff, the man shot by Palo Alto police officers on Christmas Night, admits he does not know all the circumstances surrounding his son’s death.

But Sue Dremann, writing in the Palo Alto Weekly, says Southern California resident Garold Raff believes the shooting was “an unjust shooting.”

Authorities say William David Raff lured police to the La Selva Group mental health residential center in the 600 block of Forest Avenue of Palo Alto and charged at officers when they arrived. Officers shot Raff in response.

Garold Raff told the Weekly his son suffered from schizoaffective disorder, a “serious mental disorder that can involve psychotic breaks from reality and wide mood swings.”

“It’s just awful. It was challenging enough to just help him, and to have him treated this way was so excessive. ... In our opinion, it was mishandled,” said Raff.

Months ago, the Weekly reports the senior Raff purchased a home in Felton where his son lived until recently, working at a landscaping company as an installer. But, Raff told the paper, “He burned out.”