A man who attempted to carjack three people in Federal Way and was then shot by officers on Sept. 20 has been charged with robbery, according to King County prosecutors.
Jason Miller-Brown, 39, was charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree attempted robbery and unlawful possession of a firearm on Sept. 21 by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
His bail is set at $500,000 and he was previously under guard at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He has been released from the hospital, said a hospital spokesperson on Sept. 28.
Miller-Brown’s arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. Oct. 4 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Additional victims are still being identified and the state is expecting to file more charges in the near future.
According to the charging documents, Miller-Brown’s criminal history includes the use of 25 other names, along with at least eight prior felony convictions for a hate crime, retail theft, and first-degree theft, among others.
At about 3:22 p.m. Sept. 20, a man who was finishing his work day as a Lyft driver called 911 from the Elephant Car Wash, 31458 Pacific Highway South in Federal Way, to report that a man pointed a gun at him and tried to steal his vehicle, documents state. The armed man — later identified as Miller-Brown — ran from the scene and continued into downtown Federal Way.
Several people saw the armed man point a gun at multiple victims. Federal Way police officers responded to the area and attempted to contact the man.
About six minutes later, a police sergeant notified dispatch via radio that the man allegedly pointed a gun at police. Shortly after, the sergeant said the armed man was attempting to carjack another person along South 320th Street.
Traffic camera footage shows Miller-Brown running toward a green Toyota Corolla and pointing a gun toward the car as he ran toward it, documents state. Miller-Brown allegedly pointed the gun at the driver as he opened the car door and pulled the driver out of his seat.
“Miller-Brown alternated pointing the gun at his own head and at [the driver],” documents state. The driver moved toward the rear of the car and was separated from Miller-Brown “by only a couple feet” when several officers began firing at the armed man.
Federal Way police said on Sept. 20 that Miller-Brown turned and allegedly pointed his gun at police during the third carjacking.
Surveillance footage showed Miller-Brown tossing a gun toward the median of the roadway as he fell to the ground. A pistol was later found at the crime scene.
Miller-Brown was then transported to Harborview Medical Center.
After investigation, police found the armed man rifled through the Lyft driver’s car and stole his cell phone at the Elephant Car Wash. The car was not stolen because the Lyft driver’s keys were in his pocket. When the Lyft driver shouted at another car wash customer for help, the armed man allegedly attempted to steal his vehicle too.
Five Federal Way officers were placed on paid administrative leave due to the shooting. None of the officers have returned to duty yet, said Federal Way Police Cmdr. Kurt Schwan on Sept. 28.
Because the incident involved Federal Way officers shooting a suspect, the Port of Seattle — as part of the Valley Independent Investigations Team — is conducting the investigation.
