Submitted by former Tacoma, Washington police officer Rob Hollingsworth
I am a former Tacoma police officer. For three years I have watched the city, state, and police leadership bend a knee to the media, throw the officers and their families under the bus all under some false rhetoric.
I was not at the incident involving Manny Ellis. However, it was the area I had worked in, I knew each officer at the scene (charged or not), read the incident reports written by officers, and spoken to them about it prior to any gag orders.
Additionally, I have read previous incident reports involving Mr. Ellis, in which his actions were similar to that fateful night.
This isn't specifically about what has occurred that night. I will not delve into that in depth, as I have stated an important fact: I was not there. This article will summarize the events and show how the politicians framed the story for political gain and to continue their assault on law enforcement.
The events leading up to the incident, the reactions, and what lead to the officers being charged have not been shared to my knowledge. I have refrained from writing this piece until the trial conclusion to prevent any possible repercussions to the officers. I will not name the officers, as my intention is not to bring more attention to their lives. Those men have already been put through the ringer.
Ultimately, the media, the police department, the whacko mayor of Tacoma, the governor of Washington, and the Attorney General, present partial facts to fit their narrative. This has no business in legislature and more importantly, should not dictate criminal investigations and how police officers are able to serve.
The incident occurred in March of 2020 in South Tacoma, Washington. Two officers riding in the same vehicle observed Ellis breaking into a vehicle in the early morning hours. Immediately upon contacting Ellis, a fight ensued.
Make no mistake: both of these officers are capable, experienced, and highly trained. I had worked with them for about a year at this point. As you work with fellow officers, you are able to pick up subtle intricacies in their radio traffic. These subtleties allow you to gauge what an officer is dealing with. If they are experiencing a chaotic scene, often times you will be able to know without being present.
I listened to the radio traffic from the Ellis incident a few days after. It was immediately apparent that they were in a fight. They were being attacked.
Multiple officers from multiple surrounding agencies arrived to assist. This is not common unless an officer is truly in need of assistance. As the scene progressed, a spit hood was placed on Mr. Ellis. This is notable because it was a big focal point by prosecutors and the media alike.
For reference, a spit hood is not constrictive. In fact, it is far less constrictive as far as airflow than, say, a blue mask or N-95. Something that was required for well over a year in the State of Washington. The Governor of Washington loves masks. We had to wear masks at the grocery store, hospital, bank, restaurants (unless actively eating of course), and in the police department.
A spit hood is mesh. It is to simply prevent saliva from landing on a different individual. So, after being detained in handcuffs, a spit hood placed over his face, and continuing to be combative, Mr. Ellis goes into a medical emergency.
Tacoma Fire arrives and administers life saving measures for approximately 12 minutes before Mr. Ellis is declared deceased. Each involved officer wrote incident reports that were compiled into a master report.
In Pierce County, agencies refer to the master report as a ".1" (dot one). Mr. Ellis’ body was sent to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's office. The mayor was sent an email detailing the incident as she is notified about ALL notable police events.
No reaction from anyone out of the ordinary at that point. No press conferences, no riots, no media. The officers, per standard protocol, were placed on administrative leave like any other case involving similar circumstances.
The case was then sent to the Pierce County prosecutor's office to investigate the officers' actions. At that time, and to my knowledge still today, the Tacoma Police Department places officers on a two-week leave. They are then eligible to return to normal duties even prior to the investigation concluding. During this incident, the same transpired.
In total, four officers were placed on leave and returned after a few weeks. Why would they return while still being investigated? Because it was obvious that their actions were lawful and consistent with carrying out their duties as police officers.
The initial autopsy report written by Dr. Clark the medical examiner at the time, found an enlarged heart and the presence of methamphetamine. He later revised his report (some time well after the George Floyd incident) after mounting political pressure to state that “police actions” killed Mr. Ellis.
This, of course, was because Dr. Clark was given “limited information." So, he revised his report to state that it was the police that killed Ellis. And then he resigned. It is of note that at the time of his resignation, there were a slew of other complaints against him.
Then the George Floyd incident took place about two months later, in May of 2020. At this time, all four officers were back at work. The case was not spoken about, there was no media coverage, no political witch hunt, nothing from the mayor, governor, or Attorney General to this point.
Then in 2021, I recall being told that the case was going to be blasted to the media. I was working overtime at a BLM riot. I was watching the "peaceful protesters" break windows, and steal from local businesses that were already feeling the sting of 2020.
I remember, notably, seeing the mayor of Tacoma pose for photos with rioters. The same of who smashed the windows and cleaned out a mom-and-pop gold coin shop in Tacoma’s downtown.
Like many other bigger cities, we never took enforcement action against any type of rioting. We would essentially form a “deterrence” and let the events play out. This went on for years and led to many further notable incidents in the city.
While maintaining this presence, a police sergeant gathered a few of us and gave us our heads up. The conversation was essentially that the mayor wanted to make this out to be our George Floyd, and to expect the worst.
Stories began to run in the media, first locally, then nationally. The mayor got her press conferences. The governor, coming off his presidential run, got his press conferences. The officers were then placed back on leave.
The prosecutor's office recused themselves for conflict of interest without an official report or decision. The governor then called for an “independent” investigation of the incident conducted by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is now running for governor.
Time passes, and the Attorney General’s office releases their report, which was written more in the form of a probable cause affidavit. (Before proceeding, it is important to understand how a police report and probable cause affidavit is written: You do NOT write it backwards. Meaning, you do not have an ulterior motive of arriving at probable cause for said charge and writing to support that. Rather, you write and document distinct and articulable facts, and IF they support probable cause for whichever charge, THEN you can charge.)
The probable cause affidavit written by Ferguson’s office was written backwards: They hand selected certain aspects from the incident, omitted other facts, and wrote it to support charging the officers. I was disgusted while reading it. If I had written a probable cause statement like that, it is certain that the charges would be dropped, and I would likely be reprimanded. For the highest attorney in the state to write it in this manner is unacceptable. The affidavit is available for your reading online.
The result was three out of the four involved officers being charged with felonies in May of 2021. The charges were 2nd degree murder and 1st degree manslaughter.
All three officers were arrested and booked into the county jail. It was the day I, along with many other officers, elected to leave the department.
The prosecution asked for bail to be set at $1 million dollars, saying the offices were a “threat to the public.” The judge released each on $100,000, and they were all essentailly placed on house arrest and barred from leaving their respective counties.
It was the result the governor and mayor were looking for.
To this day in Tacoma, and in much of the State of Washington, lawlessness ensues. Intersections are taken over by street racers, drugs are essentially legal, vehicle thefts are through the roof, and people are shot and murdered at record levels. Much of the I-5 corridor looks like a third world country.
The Ellis family reached a settlement of $4 million in March of 2022. Each officer and their families were put through hell with the trial ending in December of 2023.
They were all found not guilty on all charges.
The second formal internal investigation then transpired, lead by the newly commissioned police chief of the Tacoma Police Department.
This highlights a major problem: mayors having a say in the selection of police chiefs. The current chief is simply a political arm of the mayor, the governor, and others. The trickle-down effects are all felt by the citizens.
The insane ideologies are enacted into law and, eventually, into police policies and tactics. The Ellis case was an attention grabber for career politicians to further their careers and garner support from citizens that buy into their insane rhetoric. These policies have had a detrimental effect on not only the City of Tacoma, but to the entire State of Washington.
There are many cities and states across the country that are being run in a similar way. By making the police out to be the enemy, handcuffing their ability to do their job, and the threat of being thrown into jail, the erosion of the profession will continue.
This will erode our communities and our country from within.
I am a former Tacoma police officer. For three years I have watched the city, state, and police leadership bend a knee to the media, throw the officers and their families under the bus all under some false rhetoric.
I was not at the incident involving Manny Ellis. However, it was the area I had worked in, I knew each officer at the scene (charged or not), read the incident reports written by officers, and spoken to them about it prior to any gag orders.
Additionally, I have read previous incident reports involving Mr. Ellis, in which his actions were similar to that fateful night.
This isn't specifically about what has occurred that night. I will not delve into that in depth, as I have stated an important fact: I was not there. This article will summarize the events and show how the politicians framed the story for political gain and to continue their assault on law enforcement.
The events leading up to the incident, the reactions, and what lead to the officers being charged have not been shared to my knowledge. I have refrained from writing this piece until the trial conclusion to prevent any possible repercussions to the officers. I will not name the officers, as my intention is not to bring more attention to their lives. Those men have already been put through the ringer.
Ultimately, the media, the police department, the whacko mayor of Tacoma, the governor of Washington, and the Attorney General, present partial facts to fit their narrative. This has no business in legislature and more importantly, should not dictate criminal investigations and how police officers are able to serve.
The incident occurred in March of 2020 in South Tacoma, Washington. Two officers riding in the same vehicle observed Ellis breaking into a vehicle in the early morning hours. Immediately upon contacting Ellis, a fight ensued.
Make no mistake: both of these officers are capable, experienced, and highly trained. I had worked with them for about a year at this point. As you work with fellow officers, you are able to pick up subtle intricacies in their radio traffic. These subtleties allow you to gauge what an officer is dealing with. If they are experiencing a chaotic scene, often times you will be able to know without being present.
I listened to the radio traffic from the Ellis incident a few days after. It was immediately apparent that they were in a fight. They were being attacked.
Multiple officers from multiple surrounding agencies arrived to assist. This is not common unless an officer is truly in need of assistance. As the scene progressed, a spit hood was placed on Mr. Ellis. This is notable because it was a big focal point by prosecutors and the media alike.
For reference, a spit hood is not constrictive. In fact, it is far less constrictive as far as airflow than, say, a blue mask or N-95. Something that was required for well over a year in the State of Washington. The Governor of Washington loves masks. We had to wear masks at the grocery store, hospital, bank, restaurants (unless actively eating of course), and in the police department.
A spit hood is mesh. It is to simply prevent saliva from landing on a different individual. So, after being detained in handcuffs, a spit hood placed over his face, and continuing to be combative, Mr. Ellis goes into a medical emergency.
Tacoma Fire arrives and administers life saving measures for approximately 12 minutes before Mr. Ellis is declared deceased. Each involved officer wrote incident reports that were compiled into a master report.
In Pierce County, agencies refer to the master report as a ".1" (dot one). Mr. Ellis’ body was sent to the Pierce County Medical Examiner's office. The mayor was sent an email detailing the incident as she is notified about ALL notable police events.
No reaction from anyone out of the ordinary at that point. No press conferences, no riots, no media. The officers, per standard protocol, were placed on administrative leave like any other case involving similar circumstances.
The case was then sent to the Pierce County prosecutor's office to investigate the officers' actions. At that time, and to my knowledge still today, the Tacoma Police Department places officers on a two-week leave. They are then eligible to return to normal duties even prior to the investigation concluding. During this incident, the same transpired.
In total, four officers were placed on leave and returned after a few weeks. Why would they return while still being investigated? Because it was obvious that their actions were lawful and consistent with carrying out their duties as police officers.
The initial autopsy report written by Dr. Clark the medical examiner at the time, found an enlarged heart and the presence of methamphetamine. He later revised his report (some time well after the George Floyd incident) after mounting political pressure to state that “police actions” killed Mr. Ellis.
This, of course, was because Dr. Clark was given “limited information." So, he revised his report to state that it was the police that killed Ellis. And then he resigned. It is of note that at the time of his resignation, there were a slew of other complaints against him.
Then the George Floyd incident took place about two months later, in May of 2020. At this time, all four officers were back at work. The case was not spoken about, there was no media coverage, no political witch hunt, nothing from the mayor, governor, or Attorney General to this point.
Then in 2021, I recall being told that the case was going to be blasted to the media. I was working overtime at a BLM riot. I was watching the "peaceful protesters" break windows, and steal from local businesses that were already feeling the sting of 2020.
I remember, notably, seeing the mayor of Tacoma pose for photos with rioters. The same of who smashed the windows and cleaned out a mom-and-pop gold coin shop in Tacoma’s downtown.
Like many other bigger cities, we never took enforcement action against any type of rioting. We would essentially form a “deterrence” and let the events play out. This went on for years and led to many further notable incidents in the city.
While maintaining this presence, a police sergeant gathered a few of us and gave us our heads up. The conversation was essentially that the mayor wanted to make this out to be our George Floyd, and to expect the worst.
Stories began to run in the media, first locally, then nationally. The mayor got her press conferences. The governor, coming off his presidential run, got his press conferences. The officers were then placed back on leave.
The prosecutor's office recused themselves for conflict of interest without an official report or decision. The governor then called for an “independent” investigation of the incident conducted by Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who is now running for governor.
Time passes, and the Attorney General’s office releases their report, which was written more in the form of a probable cause affidavit. (Before proceeding, it is important to understand how a police report and probable cause affidavit is written: You do NOT write it backwards. Meaning, you do not have an ulterior motive of arriving at probable cause for said charge and writing to support that. Rather, you write and document distinct and articulable facts, and IF they support probable cause for whichever charge, THEN you can charge.)
The probable cause affidavit written by Ferguson’s office was written backwards: They hand selected certain aspects from the incident, omitted other facts, and wrote it to support charging the officers. I was disgusted while reading it. If I had written a probable cause statement like that, it is certain that the charges would be dropped, and I would likely be reprimanded. For the highest attorney in the state to write it in this manner is unacceptable. The affidavit is available for your reading online.
The result was three out of the four involved officers being charged with felonies in May of 2021. The charges were 2nd degree murder and 1st degree manslaughter.
All three officers were arrested and booked into the county jail. It was the day I, along with many other officers, elected to leave the department.
The prosecution asked for bail to be set at $1 million dollars, saying the offices were a “threat to the public.” The judge released each on $100,000, and they were all essentailly placed on house arrest and barred from leaving their respective counties.
It was the result the governor and mayor were looking for.
To this day in Tacoma, and in much of the State of Washington, lawlessness ensues. Intersections are taken over by street racers, drugs are essentially legal, vehicle thefts are through the roof, and people are shot and murdered at record levels. Much of the I-5 corridor looks like a third world country.
The Ellis family reached a settlement of $4 million in March of 2022. Each officer and their families were put through hell with the trial ending in December of 2023.
They were all found not guilty on all charges.
The second formal internal investigation then transpired, lead by the newly commissioned police chief of the Tacoma Police Department.
This highlights a major problem: mayors having a say in the selection of police chiefs. The current chief is simply a political arm of the mayor, the governor, and others. The trickle-down effects are all felt by the citizens.
The insane ideologies are enacted into law and, eventually, into police policies and tactics. The Ellis case was an attention grabber for career politicians to further their careers and garner support from citizens that buy into their insane rhetoric. These policies have had a detrimental effect on not only the City of Tacoma, but to the entire State of Washington.
There are many cities and states across the country that are being run in a similar way. By making the police out to be the enemy, handcuffing their ability to do their job, and the threat of being thrown into jail, the erosion of the profession will continue.
This will erode our communities and our country from within.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
2024-02-14T19:33-0600 | Comment by: Judy
Thank you Rob Hollingsworth for your service to the city of Tacoma. I want to thank you for the article you wrote in Law Enforcement Today regarding the Manny Ellis case. It was nice to have someone break down the time line on this case. Anyone who had sense including the ME would know that the perpetrator, Mr. Ellis was at fault by committing wrong doing, and putting his health at risk by taking drugs with an enlarged heart. Too many of these types of cases dealing with health issues and drugs don't mix with fighting with law enforcement who have no knowledge of the perpetrator's health issues including any history of mental health. It would be interesting if any statistics have been collected on deaths with persons with a medical condition(s), legal or illegal drugs in the system while wrestling around with someone like a police officer or other law enforcement. The city of Tacoma was stupid to settle with the Ellis family who probably wanted what George Floyd's family had received which was easy money. The 4 million dollars paid out to the Willis family could have helped the Tacoma Police Department programs to include better or more equipment, hire additional staff. On another note, I am thankful that the three PO charged in this case were exonerated but at a cost to them and their families. Thank you again. God bless you and good luck on your new chapter in your life.
2024-02-18T10:35-0600 | Comment by: Dave
Good article Rob. I have been retired from Clackamas County Sheriff's Department about 19 years. The pendulum has swung left so far it's hard to recognize Law Enforcement now. Currently I'm reading (Rules for Radicals) by Saul Alinsky. Although his rhetoric was destructive, his methods were effective. It's high time we as a law abiding community adopt some of these "community organizing" skills to enable change. Change that brings sanity in a deranged political world. We live in the geographic sphere of Portland and it's insane policies. Policies that brought about defunding the police, abolishing the gang and gun enforcement teams, disbanding the traffic team. The state then legalized possession of drugs under measure 110. As a result, the subsequent years saw record homicides, exponential increasing numbers of drug addled street urchins, exploding theft, record vehicle thefts, record drug overdoses, street racing, record numbers of people killed in the street by motor vehicles. Most recently, 1.5 metric tons of liquid heroin was found in a truck in Tigard Oregon. The productive, law abiding community needs to organize to stop the insanity of policies that are at the root of these problems. The Justice system in Oregon isn't just broken, it's failed at every level. No money for public defenders, a system that can't handle the record numbers of crime and a District Attorney that is dumping criminal cases by the thousands because "the facts aren't there" to prosecute. Really? The real reason is the system has broken beyond repair. Until there is wholesale change politically, we are destined to suffer the consequences of ignorant and in (some cases), well meaning people who don't have a clue. None of these people have had to arrest crazed meth addict, fought over a gun, had to fight a drunk logger, had a person kill themselves two feet away from you. I've experienced all of the above, some of these examples multiple times. None have experienced major crucial stress events more than once or twice in their lives. Police officers experience dozens, if not hundreds in a career.