Tacoma Police Must Inform City Leaders Of In-Custody Deaths

TACOMA, WA — Tacoma has adopted a new set of rules that will require city leaders be alerted whenever someone is killed in police custody or when police use deadly force. The move comes as four Tacoma Police officers are being investigated for the death of Manuel Ellis in their custody back on March 3, and amid a nationwide effort to grapple with police violence in America.

Under Tacoma's new protocol, when someone dies in Tacoma police custody, the following will happen:

• The city manager will alert the mayor and city council as soon as possible.
• The mayor and council will be given an account of the events that lead to the death, as well as the names of all officers involved and the race of the deceased if that is available.
• If an independent investigation is legally required, the city manager will confirm that a family liaison has been assigned to communicate with the victim's family members.
• Once the deceased's next of kin has been notified, the mayor will be given their contact information.
• The Community Trauma Response Team will be informed of the incident.

City leaders say the new protocol is one way Tacoma can prove to residents that they take police violence seriously.

“Every loss of life is tragic, and the recognition of that loss should be acknowledged by the City of Tacoma,” said Mayor Victoria Woodards. "This resolution confirms my personal commitment to contact the family of any individual who dies in Tacoma police custody within 24 hours of receiving their contact information to express my condolences for the family’s loss."

The bill introducing the new protocol, Resolution 40621, references the death of Manuel Ellis as one of the reasons these changes are necessary. Ellis died while being restrained by four Tacoma Police officers back on March 3. Months later, the Pierce County Medical Examiner determined that Ellis died because of the way police restrained him, and ruled his death a homicide.

That ruling sparked a wave of action: First, Tacoma City Council called for a separate investigation into Ellis' death. Then, the state learned that the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, who had been placed in charge of the initial investigation, had a deputy on scene and could not independently review Ellis death. The Sheriff's Department's investigation was cancelled and the reigns then were passed to the Washington State Patrol.

Now, Washington State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies across Pierce County are putting together a multi-agency Independent Investigative Team which with have both civilian and police board members, and who will investigate Ellis' death and future deaths in police custody.

Meanwhile, because the Pierce County Sheriff's Department failed to report that they had a deputy on scene for three months, the state has also decided to step in. Washington's Attorney General will be reviewing every single police death investigation in 2020 to make sure the investigations were fair and independent.

Related Stories:

Washington State Patrol Seeks Civilian Reps For Police Oversight

Washington Will Review All 2020 Police Deadly Use Of Force Probes

Inslee: Pierce Deputies Cannot Objectively Review Ellis' Death