Family seeks answers in Federal Way police shooting that hospitalized man

The family of a Federal Way man shot by police last week is seeking answers on how officers responded to the 19-year-old man, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when he called 911.

Caution Mann remains at Harborview Medical Center after he was shot by three Federal Way police officers on June 24. The Valley Independent Investigative Team, the multidepartment team looking into the officers' response, said in a news release Thursday that Mann was armed with a weapon during the incident."

A spokesperson for the investigative team, Kent police Cmdr. Jason Bishop, said Thursday: "We anticipate charges forthcoming" for Mann, who investigators say committed a crime. It was not immediately clear what allegations are being made by police.

Douglas Wagoner, King County prosecutor's office spokesperson, said prosecutors have been working with law enforcement about the incident but have not yet received a referral to charge the suspect. Mann is also facing robbery charges in a separate case from this year, alleging Mann used Facebook to "lure" two victims to rob them at gunpoint of an Omega watch and airsoft pistols.

He was charged with first-degree robbery and transferred from jail to electronic home detention in May. On the same day of the shooting, around the time Mann called 911, the detention system received two alerts that the GPS tracking equipment was tampered with or disabled, according to violation documents. A caseworker called Mann, and in the background police sirens could be heard.

According to the violation document, Mann started crying and told his caseworker "I can't do this anymore." The caseworker heard commands in the background to drop the gun, and Mann reportedly told the caseworker that police were pointing their guns at him, the violation document states.

"He began to yell at the police stating that he had a gun to his head and would end his life," the violation report states. He then relayed a message to the caseworker about saying goodbye to his daughter before the call was disconnected, the document says.

It is not clear to the family exactly how many times Mann was shot. He remains in the hospital in critical condition and has not been able to communicate, the family said.

During a news conference held at their attorney's office Thursday, Mann's father and grandfather said the 19-year-old was experiencing suicidal ideation when he called 911.

The family's lawyer, Brian McDaniel, said Mann told police "he had a firearm and that he was thinking of taking his own life." The attorney and the two family members said that they have not heard a recording of the 911 call but that Mann was on the phone with his mother during the incident.

McDaniel said law enforcement, including the independent investigative team, has not provided much evidence to his clients. Mann's grandmother - who was not at the news conference - reportedly pleaded with law enforcement not to shoot Mann before she was removed from the scene, McDaniel said.

"It was a call from a young man who was self-reporting that he was in the midst of a mental health crisis," McDaniel said. "He was dealing with a circumstance that he was not himself equipped to deal with."

In a news release, the investigative team said officers "engaged in de-escalation efforts, including several less-lethal force options" for nearly 10 minutes before the shooting. Investigators did not specify what "less-lethal" options were used.

In a statement, the Federal Way Police Department declined to answer questions about the response because it is an active investigation.

McDaniel said attorneys have made a "formal request" to view body-worn camera footage of the shooting but were denied.

Bishop, the investigative team spokesperson, said he would "let the press release speak for itself" when asked about body-worn camera footage. Bishop added that the team has been in contact with the family.

Mann's father, Curtis Mann, said Thursday that his son appeared to have been shot in the back. When Mann first arrived at Harborview Medical Center, McDaniel said, the family was advised to take him off life support. Mann was scheduled to have spinal surgery Thursday.

"It's odd that they have not allowed the family to see it, as we are aware of different jurisdictions treating this differently," McDaniel said.

The Seattle Police Department, for instance, typically releases body-worn camera footage and dashcam footage of a police shooting within 72 hours. The state office of independent investigations, which now operates in southwestern portions of the state, also releases names of involved officers and allows family members to review body-worn camera footage.

"This young man opened up, and he pleaded for help," said Charles Mann Sr., Mann's grandfather. "The help that he pleaded for was totally ignored. They totally put him on his deathbed."

The senior Mann said that police placed his grandson under arrest in the emergency room that evening and that the family was asked to leave.

"Caution is still a kid at heart," Curtis Mann said about his son.

McDaniel said the family's attorneys would be "employing all avenues," including potential legal action, to get answers about what happened on June 24.

"We just want to make sure everything happened through protocol," Curtis Mann said. "We're looking for transparency on everything that happened.

Clarification: A previous version of this article stated the Office of Independent Investigations releases body-worn camera footage after a police shooting. OII does not release video publicly, but does allow family members to view it when they have requested to.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 4:50 PM.