Family of Napa Man Shot and Killed By Officer Wants Answers

NAPA (KCBS)_ The family of a man who was shot to death by an officer over the Thanksgiving weekend is demanding answers from the Napa Police Department.

Police maintain that 60-year-old Richard Poccia pulled a knife out as Napa officers approached him outside his home Sunday afternoon on the 1400 block of Meek Avenue.

But Poccia's family isn't buying that. The family's lawyer is calling for an independent investigation into what happened.

Attorney John Runfola said Poccia was depressed and distraught.

KCBS' Chris Filippi Reports:

Runfola said Poccia had a meeting at a neighbor's house that included some people, including a police officer, who said authorities were going to let Poccia calm down. Hours later, he was shot with a Taser by one officer and a rifle by another.

"The assurance from the police department that they were going to lay low and take no action, only to have the SWAT team show up and execute your loved one who was suffering from depression is unforgiveable" said Runfola.

Poccia was a registered nurse who worked in AIDS wards and psychiatric hospitals around the Bay Area.

His daughter, Gabriella, said those that knew her father, knew him as a wonderful and funny man that was not beyond help.

"He was dedicated to helping people that were sick and in the end, when he needed help, the authorities came in, did not give him help and he wound up dead," said Gabriella.

The Napa County Sheriff's office said its investigation into the shooting is not yet complete.

The family has not yet filed for a lawsuit.

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