ToplineThree police officers in Tacoma, Washington, were charged with felonies on Thursday in the death of Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man whose death in police custody came just two months before George Floyd’s murder but has failed to draw widespread national attention. A photo of Manuel Ellis is seen near the site of his death during a vigil for him on June 3, 2020 in ... [+] Tacoma, Washington. Washington State Attorney General Bob Fergueson said in a Thursday statement he has charged two of the Tacoma Police Department officers involved in the arrest—Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins—with second degree murder. Video footage captured by a bystander shows the officers repeatedly hitting Ellis while he was restrained and Ellis calling out: “I can’t breathe, sir.” Five officers were placed on home leave pending the charging decision. Further Reading“Before the Death of Manuel Ellis, a Witness Told the Police: ‘Stop Hitting Him’” (The New York Times)

Source: Forbes May 27, 2021 19:52 UTC