A protest led by the family of Manny Ellis erupted in Tacoma Thursday after not guilty verdicts in the trial of three officers charged in Ellis’ death.
The verdict came nearly four years after Ellis was tased, beaten, and restrained face down. The trial lasted 11 weeks.
The demonstration began shortly after the verdict was announced, and groups of people got up and left the courtroom.
Some of them took to the street and gathered by a mural of Ellis emblazoned with the words “Justice For Manny” as emotions ran high.
Protesters say with all the evidence presented during the trial, they were appalled by the verdict.
“With all the video and all the testimony and all of the eyes on this, it can happen to any one of you and that is what we are working to stop,” said Jamika Scott with Tacoma Action Collective.
The crowd continued to grow in the ensuing hours. Ellis’ sister spoke into a bullhorn demanding justice as she marched down Martin Luther King Jr. Way with supporters.
“My brother was murdered,” Monet Carter-Mixon, Manuel Ellis’ sister, shouted into a bullhorn. “There’s plenty of other people here who have been murdered and their murders have been covered the **** up.”
“(It’s) ridiculous, it’s been disrespectful, it’s been infuriating. And regardless at the end of this if the officers were found innocent or guilty, we already had a lot of work to do,” said Scott.
Construction barriers and vehicles were moved to block an intersection near the courthouse as hours of chanting “No peace, no justice, no peace, no justice,” continued.
City and Tacoma Police officials told us they are still finalizing their internal investigation into the officers regarding use of force and courtesy violations.
They expect the internal investigation to be completed Friday.
