A jury heard testimony in the trial of 3 Tacoma police officers charged in the 2020 death of Manuel “Manny” Ellis, who stated he could not breathe right through the deadly come across.
Ellis, an unarmed Black guy, used to be restrained through 3 police officers in Washington state on March 3, 2020, and a clinical examiner dominated the reason of death as a murder.
In a video of the incident that went viral, Ellis, a 33-year-old father, may also be heard announcing, “Can’t breathe, sir, can’t breathe,” whilst being pinned down.
Washington Assistant Attorney General Kent Liu recalled the ones phrases to the jury Tuesday when he started his opening remark, describing what he known as Ellis’ final recognized phrases. Liu stated officers again and again hit Ellis and put him in a spit hood. He used to be additionally tased 3 times, in step with a possible reason remark.
In 2021, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed prison fees in opposition to officers Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins, and Timothy Rankine. Burbank and Collins had been charged with second-degree homicide and Rankine used to be charged with first-degree manslaughter. All 3 have pleaded now not to blame and the protection claimed medicine discovered in Ellis’ device could have contributed to his death as a substitute.
An indication is displayed on May 27, 2021, at a memorial in Tacoma, Wash., the place Manuel “Manny” Ellis died March 3, 2020.
Ted S. Warren/AP, FILE
On Wednesday, Grant Fredericks, a forensic video analyst, persevered his testimony from Tuesday. He analyzed video from the incident and walked the jury thru photos of the altercation. The prosecution in section enthusiastic about the place Ellis had his fingers when officers tased him for the primary time.
Fredericks testified that lower than two seconds after photos confirmed Ellis together with his hands out, the taser used to be activated.
In his opening remark on Tuesday, Burbank’s lawyer Brett Purtzer stated Ellis got here to the passenger aspect of the police patrol automobile, which Burbank and Collins had been in, and instructed Burbank whilst the usage of an expletive that he should punch him in the face. Ellis additionally beat at the window, Purtzer claimed.
To distract Ellis from Collins who exited the car, Burbank opened the passenger door, however the tried distraction did not paintings and Ellis threw Collins “to the ground with superhuman strength,” Purtzer alleged.
Liu instructed the jury that eyewitnesses would inform them that any person from the patrol automobile were given Ellis’ consideration and he walked to the car’s passenger aspect. Those witnesses noticed a temporary dialog happen, Ellis strolling away and the passenger door swinging open, knocking Ellis to the bottom, Liu stated. Witnesses additionally noticed officers bounce out of the automobile and get started attacking Ellis.
They “will tell you … Mr. Ellis was not aggressive, was not violent, never attacked the officers,” Liu instructed the jury. “In fact, it was the officers that [were] attacking Mr. Ellis.”
Anne Bremner, the lawyer for Rankine, who arrived later on the scene and implemented force to Ellis’ again, in step with a possible reason remark, instructed ABC News in a remark Thursday morning that her shopper “responded to an emergent situation to assist other officers. He followed his training helping to bring Mr. Ellis into custody. The evidence will show his acts were undertaken in conformity with proper protocols, with care and attention to Mr. Ellis’ condition.”
“Mr. Ellis, however, had significant medical and physiological issues, including an extreme concentration of methamphetamine in his blood,” she persevered. “The conditions, combined with his lengthy physical struggle with the officers, led to his demise. Officer Rankine welcomes the opportunity to provide the jurors with the truth surrounding the incident.”
The county clinical examiner dominated Ellis’ death as a murder because of “hypoxia due to physical restraint.” Although blood gathered from Ellis confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, the clinical examiner stated his death used to be not really led to through methamphetamine intoxication, in step with the possible reason remark.
The Tacoma police union stated in 2021 that those fees seem to be a “politically motivated witch hunt.”
The Tacoma police union instructed ABC News in a remark Thursday that whilst they didn’t need to seem as despite the fact that they had been seeking to “influence the court in anyway during trial,” they nonetheless maintained their stance.
“We certainly maintain our support for these officers and have not changed our beliefs on why they are charged,” Henry Betts, Tacoma Police Union Local #6 President, stated.
When ABC News requested Purtzer for a remark at the trial from him or Burbank, Purtzer stated they did not have the rest to mention. ABC News additionally reached out to Collins’ lawyer.
ABC News’ Morgan Windsor and Kiara Alfonseca contributed to this file.
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