Family of man killed by Tacoma police to receive $4M from county

The family of a man who was killed by police in Washington state has reportedly reached a settlement totaling $4 million.

Relatives of Manuel Ellis, who was fatally restrained by Tacoma police officers, had filed a lawsuit against Pierce County that accused officers of standing by as Ellis repeatedly told them that he could not breathe, according to The Seattle Times.

He died of oxygen deprivation after the 2020 incident in which he was beaten, choked, shocked with a stun gun and hogtied by police, according to the news outlet.

Ellis’s sister, Monet Carter-Mixon, told the Times that she still believes justice has not completely been served, noting that each officer involved in her brother’s death is still employed.

“I don’t see this as necessarily a win,” Carter-Mixon said. “So it’s not over yet in my eyes. I don’t think there’s any amount of financial compensation that can remedy the situation or make anyone feel better about my brother not being here.”

On Monday, Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office spokesperson Adam Faber reportedly confirmed that a tentative $4,010,000 settlement had been reached. The settlement is set to be reviewed by the Pierce County Council on Tuesday and a public announcement will be made later that day, the Times reported.

“We recognize that the family and friends of Manuel Ellis are grieving, and we hope this settlement will give them some measure of closure,” Faber said, according to the Times.

Pierce County has reportedly paid out nearly $14 million since 2017 in similar settlements concerning police shootings, the outlet noted.