A grieving family in Washington is demanding answers and transparency after a 19-year-old was left fighting for his life at the hands of police. Caution Mann was shot by Federal Way police officers, and his relatives say they are being kept in the dark about exactly what happened that night. What began as a call for help, they argue, ended in tragedy.
Mann remains in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center. In an effort to save his life, he underwent spinal surgery, and he is now on life support. He cannot speak, but his family says he is fighting, able to move and lift one arm, small signs that give his loved ones hope. His grandfather, Charles Mann, said his whole family's heart is aching over his condition.
According to the family, the night in question began with a plea for help. They say that on June 24th, Caution called 911 himself, telling dispatchers he had a gun and was considering taking his own life. Relatives say he has a history of mental health struggles, something they had been working through with him, and that the help he reached out for was, in their view, ignored.
Investigators have offered their own account of how officers responded. The Valley Independent Investigative Team says Federal Way officers attempted de-escalation and turned to less lethal options for nearly ten minutes, seeking a peaceful resolution. Only after that, according to the team, did three officers open fire on Mann.
The investigation has also raised the possibility that Mann himself could face legal consequences. The investigative team says it has probable cause that Mann committed a criminal offense and could face charges, though it is not clear whether that will change. Officials have said he was armed with a realistic looking, carbon dioxide powered BB gun at the time.
For the family, the central demand is access to the evidence. Their attorney says releasing the 911 call and the officers' body camera footage is the only way to find the truth about what happened. The refusal to allow the family to view the body worn camera footage, the attorney argues, calls into question the integrity and the transparency of the investigations now underway.