TACOMA, Wash. — Disappointed, but not surprised.
It’s what community members who support Manuel Ellis are saying in reaction to the jury’s verdict which found the three Tacoma officers charged in the death of Manuel Ellis not guilty on all charges.
“I was here because I was looking for justice for Manny Ellis,” said James Watson, a community member outside of the Pierce County Courthouse on Thursday, Dec. 21.
“I feel we kind of got what we expected. This is nothing that’s new in America and it's just an injustice and it just shows the worth of a Black life because this is what happens," Watson said. "... And it’s just a shame that the verdict came to this in our city. I thought we were beyond this. I thought we really were beyond to look at things and have justice. I just can’t believe it. I’m just trying to figure out how can you get justice if this isn’t justice.”
Inside the courtroom, tears flowed from both sides. Supporters and family members of Manuel Ellis began to cry as the not-guilty verdicts were read, leaving the room shortly after. On the defendants' side, attorneys and supporters of the officers cried in a sense of relief.
Outside the courthouse, people held “Justice of Manny” signs and listened for the verdict to be shared. When it was, tears also flowed with the shaking of heads. Some community members said that with the video evidence showing officers beating Ellis and holding him down and the eyewitness testimony, they were hoping the outcome would be different.
James Bible, the Ellis family attorney, said the verdict is "devastating."
"It’s devastating to hear because I know Mr. Ellis, as he was walking down the street with donuts in hand, was accosted by police officers," Bible said, adding that three independent eyewitnesses said Ellis did not provoke the confrontation.
"We got to see Manny in the video, with his hands up like this," Bible said, motioning. "And if an officer can’t be prosecuted and then convicted of some sort of crime when a person says I can’t breathe, sir, and has their hands up like this, they're tased repeatedly, beaten repeatedly … choked and then hogtied, then we have a system of justice that, frankly, doesn’t care about Black bodies and honors officers over people to such a degree that justice will never be served."
"This particular judge in this circumstance I absolutely believe tilted the balance of justice with his thumb and words in such a way that a fair trial was not held in this circumstance," Bible said.
Bible said the family will be seeking action from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
For the defense team, the officers and their attorneys couldn't be more thrilled, said Casey Arbenz, who represented officer Matthew Collins.
"It's a huge, huge sigh of relief," Arbenz said. "What they’ve been through, not only the fact that they’ve been falsely charged with this horrible crime, but the way they’ve been portrayed … it’s just such a sigh of relief to know that the 12 people who actually heard the evidence said they’re not guilty and that they’re not guilty of anything.”
Judge Bryan Chushcoff, who presided over the trial, said he is proud of the jury.
"I'm really proud of the jury and it's got nothing to do with the outcome," he said. "They were here for a really long period of time, with very little pay and they paid very serious attention and they tried to get it right to the best of their ability and to follow the courts' instructions to their best ability. If they resolved this in a different way, I'd be saying the same thing... I'm proud of them."
When asked if he was surprised the jury reached a verdict so quickly, Chushcoff said no.
"It's been my experience with juries if they just have the break of the night to think about things alone that they come in with a fresh approach and they can talk about it and go from there," he said.
"There was a lot put into this case by everybody and we needed to get a decide if we could," he said. "We didn't want to push anyone into a decision they didn't believe in either, so sometimes there's a fine line about that. As I said, I'm very proud of these folks."
Attorney General Bob Ferguson thanked the jury, prosecution team and court staff for their service. He added that his heart goes out to the Ellis family.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, in a statement, said people should "remember this case began when the Ellis family experienced a profound loss that was not properly investigated. A full airing of the evidence was important for all sides in this tragedy and that’s what happened here thanks to the Attorney General’s Office."
Ellis' death and the subsequent review of the incident also led to the creation of the state Office of Independent Investigations, for justice and accountability, Inslee said.
“We can respect our judicial system without diminishing the fact our society has more to do," Inslee said. "Today’s outcome will no doubt spark relief for some and immense pain for others."
Tacoma Police Union Local 6, which represents all of the Tacoma officers, said in a statement that the acquittal is “the right result.”
“We are a country built upon values, and our officers value preservation of life,” the statement reads. “When a life is lost, we fully expect and invite a thorough fact-finding process built upon truth and evidence, not hyperbole and politically charged prosecutions. We are thankful for our justice system, in which the truth of the matter prevails.”
The union said the lives of the officers and their families will never be the same, and that now those involved can take time to heal.
“This is also the time for many elected officials to take a deep breath and re-evaluate their approach to policing issues,” according to the statement in part. “This case has been used to justify legislation that has made our community less safe. It’s time to re-prioritize public safety.”
This is a developing story. Check back soon for updates.