The inquest into a 2018 officer-involved death in Federal Way began Aug. 14 at the Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center.
A SWAT team member shot and killed Federal Way community member Mitchell Nelson after a 12-hour stand-off on April 4, 2018. Nelson had barricaded himself in someone’s home after abandoning a car that he and another individual had crashed into a tree nearby.
When the responding officers learned that there were unsecured weapons and ammunition in the home, the SWAT team was called in. Nelson did locate the weapons while in the house and police testified that he fired a few shots during the incident, although no officers were injured.
During the long day and into the night, police and SWAT team members attempted to force Nelson out of the house and arrest him. According to inquest testimony, they used a variety of tactics including verbal commands. Police also shot tear gas into the house, tore down walls, and sent in a camera-enabled robot and a drone. A hostage negotiator encouraged him to leave the house via vehicle PA systems, according to documents.
Ultimately, the incident resulted in Nelson’s death.
Inquests are a legal process required in King County by an order issued by the King County Executive. The goal of this process is to publicly review the facts of the incident and confirm those facts through a jury. An inquest is not a trial, and the jury will not be ruling on the guilt or justified action of any party.
Instead, their final step of their participation in the inquest will be to answer over 100 questions about the facts of the case — called interrogatories — with “yes,” “no” or “I don’t know.”
The inquest into Mitchell Nelson’s killing began with an overview of the process from the Inquest Administrator and a reminder that this incident in question resulted in the loss of a community member and human being. Jurors saw his face, and learned details about his life from his family.
They shared memories of him as a devoted father, hard worker, Raiders fan and someone well-loved by his family.
They also shared that at age 36, Mitchell had already been battling young onset rheumatoid arthritis for years, saying that “the disease progressed quickly, making everyday activities difficult. His hands were greatly affected by the rheumatoid arthritis to the extent that they were often swollen and he had trouble opening and closing his hands.”
Mitchell’s sister Macie Nelson saw his condition first-hand. Although her brother was at least 14 years older than her, they were close.
“There were days that his arthritis was so painful that he would ask me for help with simple things, like unscrewing the lid off bottled water,” she told The Mirror.
Mitchell Nelson typically worked physically demanding jobs, like operating heavy machinery in a shipyard. Macie described him as a workaholic who always talked about his goal of giving his partner and son “a perfect life.”
Leading up to his death, Macie said her brother’s life had taken a rapid turn when a change in insurance led to the loss of access to his pain medication. Mitchell Nelson reportedly started using heroin, sparingly at first, to find relief from his arthritis symptoms.
His life spiraled downhill despite his and his family’s efforts to stop it. Macie described the endless phone calls they would make, waiting on hold to try to find support with his growing addiction.
Macie said that although she knows this inquest will not bring her brother back, she is hoping for justice.
While viewing the graphic evidence and testimony is a “horrible experience” that she “wouldn’t wish on anyone,” she said it is important to her to take all of it in.
Once this is done, she said she hopes “to be able to close this chapter and focus on remembering my brother for the man, the great man, that he was.”
Mitchell Nelson’s mother, father, sister and son were all in attendance when the inquest began, as well as his son’s girlfriend and his own partner of 19 years and her brother.
In the first few days of witness testimonial, new details have already emerged.
Early reports referred to a fire of unknown origin. Macie said it had seemed strange to her at the time that Nelson would light a fire of any kind while in the position he was in. Federal Way Police Cmdr. Casey Jones testified on Monday that the fire was started by an officer who used an outdoor-only chemical agent delivery tool that burns to release the gas. This caught a couch on fire and required the officers to utilize fire extinguishers to put it out.
One point that is yet to be clarified: The second witness, Corporal Bassett, asserted that the SWAT and negotiation teams did not have access to Mitchell Nelson’s cell phone number. Macie asserts that she was in a police van at the SWAT command post nearby for the duration of the incident and was never asked for that information. Officers did attempt to communicate with Mitchell Nelson through loudspeakers and through a message recorded by Macie and played via drone, but at this time it seems no action was taken to attempt to call him directly.
Details of the final moments have also been shared.
Auburn Police Assistant Chief Sam Betz was standing next to Corporal Riggles, who fired the fatal shots.
“I did not look at Officer Riggles, but I believed that he was seeing Nelson by using his night vision goggles, since I do not recall any visible light being used,” Betz said. “Due to my immediate fears for my own life and the lives of the other officers in the area as described above in my report, I told Officer Riggles, ‘shoot him’ then.”
Still to speak is the homeowner, Macie herself, Corporal Riggles and many other witnesses.
The lawyer representing the City of Federal Way and Corporal Riggles declined to comment as the inquest is ongoing.
Inquest program attorney Cady Nicol questions Corporal Bassett on August 14, 2023. (Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang/The Mirror)
Inquest program attorney Cady Nicol questions Corporal Bassett on August 14. (Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang/The Mirror) Inquest program attorney Cady Nicol questions Corporal Bassett on August 14. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang/The Mirror
