The Federal Way Police Department reports that officers shot a man Thursday evening (Nov. 16) while responding to a domestic violence call after he rushed them with a knife.

Officers were dispatched to a residence at 8:06 p.m. amid 911 calls reporting sounds of domestic violence. The officers arrived to the 4000 block of Southwest 337th Street a few minutes after the call. Before they had a chance to contact the source of the disturbance, a man with a knife came out of the front door and rushed the officers, according to police.

After the man did not comply with commands, officers fired. The man was hit and police began to administer aid, according to police. Medics arrived and treated the man, but eventually pronounced him deceased.

The man is tentatively identified as a 43-year-old male and a resident of the address where the officers were responding.

Domestic violence calls

Officers in Federal Way respond to an average of 2,100 domestic violence calls a year, or more than five a day, according to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs.

Just last month, the Federal Way Mayor and Federal Way City Council issued a proclamation that recognized October 2023 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. In the proclamation, they also noted that 70% of domestic violence goes unreported.

Police Chief Andy Hwang has shared his department’s dedication to reducing domestic violence many times over the years. In a guest article in The Mirror in 2019, Chief Hwang said that the “Federal Way Police Department is committed to the safety of all household members. We are dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence that impacts many of our residents. We will continue collaborating with government and private human services agencies and advocates to reduce domestic violence in our community.”

In King County, domestic violence is also dealt with through a dedicated DV court at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. The court works with victims of domestic violence to ensure fairness and accountability and coordination of resources. This court includes a specialized DV probation unit to supervise offenders and focuses on behavior modification and a sense of self responsibility for offenders.

“Treatment methodologies often focus on getting the offender to understand that they choose to act the way they behaved and they are fully accountable for those actions. Some studies have shown that providing mental health, chemical dependency, and other forms of treatment are successful additional interventions in what is largely a systemic family issue,” the court description states on their website.

For each case, the court works “to craft sentences that address the offenders underlying rehabilitation needs, whilst victims are encouraged to develop safety plans and are referred to a variety of social service resources on a voluntary basis. ”

The DVHopeline is 206-737-0242.