Palo Alto Police Shoot, Kill Man They Say Waited In Dark To Attack Them
PALO ALTO (CBS SF) -- Police in Palo Alto shot and killed an armed man who allegedly charged at officers in an interaction that lasted less than 20 seconds.
Lieutenant Zach Perron said the suspect, 31-year-old William Raff made a call that someone inside his apartment was "really violent."
But when officers arrived, they say the only violent person was Raff.
"The suspect came out of the shadows. The suspect was not in the house, was in the front yard somewhere in the dark," Perron said.
Police say Raff was waiting outside the La Selva Group treatment home where he was staying, waiting to jump police, and wielding a nine inch long metal knife.
Police say dash cam video shows Raff lunging at officers three times, and officers telling Raff to drop the knife.
"The suspect charged at the officers in a full sprint once, that's when two officers fired at him, and the third officer deployed his Taser," Perron said.
Police are reluctant to confirm reports that Raff was only armed with a butter knife.
"It is what I consider to be a dinner knife, or a table knife, but the fact of the matter is that it's a nine-inch-long piece of metal," Perron said.
The officers are on paid administrative leave while the shooting is investigated.
