'They chose instead to treat him like an animal:' Prosecution begins closing argument in Manny Ellis trial
Closing arguments begin in Manny Ellis death trial
Monday marked the beginning of the end for what has been more than three years of heartbreak, controversy, and questions in Tacoma, as the Manny Ellis death trial hears closing arguments.
TACOMA, Wash. - Monday marked the beginning of the end for what has been more than three years of heartbreak, controversy, and questions in Tacoma, as the Manuel ‘Manny’ Ellis trial hears closing arguments.
In March 2020, Ellis died while in Tacoma Police custody. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Manuel "Manny" Ellis
Tacoma Police Officers Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank are charged with second-degree murder. Officer Timothy Rankine is charged with second-degree manslaughter.
For more than two months, both legal teams have worked to prove their side to the jury.
On Monday, the prosecution gave its closing argument. The Attorney General’s office special prosecutor, Patty Eakes, focused the first sentences of her statement on one of the most controversial aspects of the case: audio recordings capturing Ellis saying he couldn’t breathe.
Use-of-force testimony in Manny Ellis death trial
A contentious day in court during the trial of three Tacoma police officers charged with the death of Manny Ellis.
"Manny Ellis told them, over and over and over again, that he couldn’t breathe. They heard him. And each of the defendants chose to ignore him and to let him die. They chose instead to treat him like an animal, to restrain him, with his hands and his feet restrained behind his back together, with a hood over his head, in the most dehumanizing position you can imagine," said Eakes.
Eakes continued her closing argument through the remainder of the trial on Monday.
The prosecution will continue with its closing argument on Tuesday. The defense will give its closing argument next.