Washington officers on trial in deadly arrest of Manny Ellis, a case reminiscent of George Floyd

The story evokes images of George Floyd begging for his life under the knee of a Minneapolis officer in May 2020. This is the story of Manuel Ellis, who died, hogtied and handcuffed by three Tacoma officers, nearly three months before Floyd’s death would spark an international outcry against police brutality. Ellis’ death, which coincided with the first U.S. outbreak of COVID-19 at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, became a touchstone for racial justice demonstrators locally but did not garner the attention of Floyd’s murder in front of a crowd in broad daylight.