Three Tacoma, Washington, police officers who were found not guilty in the case of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died in police custody in 2020, will each receive $500,000 for resigning from the police department.
Chief Avery L. Moore announced on Tuesday that the officers voluntarily resigned and left in “good standing” despite one of them violating the department’s courtesy policy in 2020. All three were otherwise cleared of departmental violations under the policies at the time.
“These agreements support a responsible, constructive path forward for our community and the Tacoma Police Department,” Elizabeth Pauli, the city manager, said in a statement on Tuesday. “I acknowledge that healing throughout Tacoma will require time, open dialogue, and shared respect.”
Matthew Ericksen, a lawyer for Mr. Ellis’s family, criticized the agreements as “perverse.” He highlighted that the former officers had already received about $1.5 million in total during their nearly four years on leave.
“Everyone in the community should be upset by this,” Ericksen said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of Washington launched an investigation into the fatal arrest of Ellis a month after the three officers were acquitted on charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter in his death.
The federal review aims to reassess the evidence in the state’s failed prosecution to ensure no pertinent facts were overlooked and to determine whether the officers would face civil rights charges in the 33-year-old Black man’s police custody death on March 3, 2020.
“If that review reveals violations of federal criminal statutes, the Justice Department will take appropriate action,” said Emily Langlie, spokesperson for acting U.S. Attorney for Western Washington Tessa Gorman.
No new evidence is expected to be introduced during the independent probe.
Ellis’ family held a press conference last week,…
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