Manuel Ellis was a 33-year-old man who died on March 3, 2020, during an arrest by police officers in Tacoma, Washington. Video of the incident showed Ellis on the ground being struck repeatedly by officers, as a witness shouted "Stop. Oh my God, stop hitting him. Just arrest him," and Ellis pleading with them, saying "I can't breathe". Paramedics attended to him for more than 30 minutes before giving up on trying to resuscitate him. Police have stated that Ellis started the confrontation when he picked up an officer and threw him to the ground, while a witness stated police initiated the confrontation. The officers involved were initially placed on administrative leave, but then were returned to work after the police department ruled there had been no violation of policy. Following the release of witness videos, Tacoma mayor Victoria Woodards requested that all officers involved in Ellis's death be fired and prosecuted. Governor of WashingtonJay Inslee said that the state would conduct an independent investigation.
Persons involved
Manuel Ellis was a 33-year-old musician at his church, and had two children: an 11-year-old son and an 18-month old daughter. Ellis was black. Ellis's family has said that Ellis struggled with addiction and mental health. According to a lawyer for the family, Ellis was walking home after playing drums that evening at his church. He reportedly called his mother, brother and sister separately after leaving the Church. Ellis's mother said that she spoke with him about a half an hour before his arrest and death. According to the Tacoma Police Department, four officers arrested Ellis, two being white, one black, and one Asian.
Arrest and death
Police initially said that Ellis had begun a confrontation by striking a police car, attacking four officers and throwing one officer to the ground. According to police, they had seen Ellis trying to open the doors of cars with people inside them. A witness, who observed the encounter from a car behind Ellis and the officers, said that Ellis approached their police car and appeared to be engaged in what she thought was a "friendly" conversation with them. Then, the witness said, the officers threw open their door, knocking Ellis to the ground. The witness began taking video footage, which shows officers punching Ellis while he is on the ground. In one video the witness can be heard calling: "Stop. Oh my God, stop hitting him. Just arrest him." A lawyer representing the Ellis family claimed that Ellis was also tased, contradicting earlier police statements saying that he was not, and also claimed that police officers had placed themselves on top of Ellis. A detective for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said that Ellis called out "I can't breathe," and that officers requested the help of paramedics and placed Ellis on his side. Police dispatch audio records Ellis shouting "I can't breathe", and police requesting medical help minutes later. The Pierce County medical examiner ruled that Ellis's death was a homicide, resulting from hypoxia due to physical restraint. The medical examiner stated it was unlikely he would have died from only the restraint and also noted that other factors could have further contributed to Ellis's death, including methamphetamines, body position, heart disease and a mask officers had placed over Ellis's mouth meant to stop him from spitting or biting.
Investigation
The officers involved in Ellis's death were initially placed on administrative leave, but then were returned to work after the police department ruled there had been no violation of policy. After the release of witness videos, Tacoma mayor Victoria Woodards requested that all officers involved in Ellis's death be fired and prosecuted. The officers were again placed on leave. After the Tacoma city council sent a letter requesting an independent review of Ellis's death to Washington governor Jay Inslee, the governor said that the state would conduct an independent investigation.
Reactions
Members of the Ellis family and officials from the NAACP said they wanted more information on Ellis's death and reform, criticizing "flashy words" from politicians. The Tacoma Police Union objected to calls for the prosecution of the officers involved, saying that video evidence was inadequate and adding "This is not a time to sacrifice dedicated public servants at the altar of public sentiment." In their statement, the union condemned the killing of George Floyd. A vigil was held for Ellis in Tacoma on June 3.
