This is actually an issue I've run into with my Whirlpool WFW92 front loader, but it's a built in sequence in all WP built washers.
If for any reason, whether the water valves are shut off to the machine, or the pressure is so incredibly low that it fills with a dribble, the board will decide that it thinks water should be coming in but isn't registering to the pressure switch or level sensor, which to the machine's "brain" could mean water pouring out of the pressure hose port, or down onto the floor out of a ruptured seal. So, with that, the machine will automatically lock the lid and run the drain pump for about 10 minutes nonstop in an emergency attempt at reducing the amount of water that could be pouring out. There is no way to cancel this, period. No length of disconnecting power will reset the timeout; it will resume as soon as power is restored.
My advice would be to make sure the drain hose is connected and at least elevated, and pour a gallon or two of water into the basket. This is to make sure the pump is lubricated and isn't spinning dry the whole time. Then just plug it in and let it run its course. Hopefully it will finish out and you'll be able to actually test the machine, but you MUST have water connected to the inlet valves so that it can fill as designed, otherwise the logic board may sense too much water too fast (ie, a water hose by hand) or not enough water, and start the emergency drain all over again.
A side note, my WP 92 front load is perfectly fine, I just forgot to turn on the water valves after coming back from a two week long trip, and didn't pay attention when starting a load that there was no filling sound. As a result, it did this exact thing, but after letting it go its course, it has not so much as blinked the wrong way since.
