Attorney General To Announce Ellis Decision Within 2 Weeks

TACOMA, WA — The Washington State Attorney General's Office (AGO) says they will announce a charging decision in the death of Manuel Ellis by May 27th, if not sooner.

On March 3, 2020, Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, was killed while being restrained by Tacoma police officers. It's been more than a year since then, but the AGO's latest announcement means Ellis' family and the community at large may finally see some measure of closure.

Shortly after the AGO's announcement Friday, Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards issued a statement on the issue reading:

"The City Council and I continue to stand in support of the requests of the Ellis family and the Tacoma community for the State of Washington to complete a thorough and independent investigation into the death of Manuel Ellis. While it does not ease the grief of those waiting, we appreciate the Attorney General establishing a firm deadline for a charging decision in this case."

The resolution of Ellis' case has been significantly delayed several times. Initially, the investigation had been placed in the hands of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, who handled the case for several months until it was discovered they had had a deputy on scene at the time of Ellis' death — meaning the department was not legally independent enough to objectively handle the investigation.

The case was then handed to the Washington State Patrol, who began the investigation again from scratch, and ultimately handed it to the AGO in November.

Since then, the AGO has had to put in a large amount of their own time re-investigating the case, creating a review panel, re-interviewing witnesses to Ellis death, retaining experts and interviewing Tacoma Police Chief David Brame. The AGO had initially planned to complete their work by the end of March, but in April announced their decision would take at least four to six more weeks.

The AGO's announcement Friday is the first time the agency has set a specific date for a charging decision.

That decision can't come soon enough for some community members, who have watched as the case dragged out an agonizing 14 months. On the anniversary of Ellis' death, Tacoma City Council issued a letter explaining how hard the case has been on their community. It reads, in part:

"As this case has passed from the Pierce County Sheriff, to the Pierce County Prosecutor, to the Washington State Patrol, and finally – in mid-November – to the Attorney General's Office, Mr. Ellis' family and loved ones have waited for the conclusion of an independent investigation. Indeed, the tension and weight of a full year with so many questions yet to be answered can be felt throughout our community."

The Attorney General's Office has promised to release all their findings to the public when they announce their charging decision later this month.