The story evokes images of George Floyd begging for his life under the knee of a Minneapolis officer in May 2020. This is the story of Manuel Ellis, who died, hogtied and handcuffed by three Tacoma officers, nearly three months before Floyd’s death would spark an international outcry against police brutality. Ellis’ death, which coincided with the first U.S. outbreak of COVID-19 at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, became a touchstone for racial justice demonstrators locally but did not garner the attention of Floyd’s murder in front of a crowd in broad daylight.
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) Police wrestle the unarmed Black man to the sidewalk. One officer pushes his face into the pavement as he pleads in vain: “Can’t breathe.” Witnesses capture the scene at a dark intersection on their cellphones one yells, “Hey! Stop! Oh my God, stop hitting him!” and the medical examiner […]
The trial for three Tacoma, Washington, officers charged in a Black man’s death begins this week. Manuel Ellis died hogtied, handcuffed and pleading “Can’t breathe” nearly three months before George Floyd’s murder sparked worldwide protests against police brutality. The trial is the first under a 5-year-old Washington state law designed to make it easier to prosecute police who wrongfully use deadly force.