WSP Seeks Witnesses For Manuel Ellis Death Investigation

TACOMA, WA — The Washington State Patrol is asking any witnesses who may have seen the death of Manuel Ellis to come forward and share their stories.

Ellis was killed between 11 and 11:30 p.m. on March 3 of this year, in the intersection of 96th and Ainsworth in Tacoma. Anyone who was in that area at that time, or may have seen the events leading up to Ellis eventual death, is asked to contact WSP immediately. Witnesses can call (360) 654-1142 to report any information they may have that's relevant to the investigation.

Ellis was killed while being restrained by four Tacoma Police officers. Months after his death, the Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled that Ellis died because of the way those four officers were holding him, and ruled his death a homicide.

At the time of his death, the officers involved claimed that Ellis had been delirious, banging on their car and trying to attack them. They say they restrained Ellis in an attempt to calm him down. All four have since been placed on leave pending the results of the investigation into Ellis' death.

For many Ellis' story, that of a black man who chocked to death while being restrained by police, drew strong parallels to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, whose death in police custody sparked a wave of protests against police brutality and racism across the nation.

The investigation into Ellis' death has been prolonged thanks to a number of complications. In Washington state any death due to officer use of force must be investigated by an independent law enforcement agency. At first, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department had been tasked with investigating the Tacoma Police officer's use of deadly force, but after months of investigation it was revealed that a Pierce County deputy had been on scene at the time of Ellis' death, and that their investigation could no longer be considered truly independent.

After that discovery, it was decided that the Washington State Patrol would be placed in charge of a new investigation into Ellis' death. Since then, WSP says they have established a liaison to update Ellis' family on the status of the investigation, and have picked three civilian community members who will be responsible for picking the officers assigned to investigate the case.