Lawyers for three Washington state officers charged in the death of a Black man say Manuel Ellis died from drugs, not excessive force.

Lawyers for three Washington state police officers charged in the 2020 death of a Black man told the jury Tuesday that his death was the result of drug use, not excessive force that included officers choking, shocking and holding him facedown.

Manuel Ellis was addicted to methamphetamine, and it caused him to be violent, unpredictable, and paranoid, said Wayne Fricke, who represents Tacoma police Officer Christopher Burbank.

“This is a situation where he created his own death,” Fricke said during closing arguments in the officers’ nine-week trial on murder and manslaughter charges. “It was his behavior that forced the officers to use force against him because he created a situation that required them to act.”

Fricke’s remarks followed closing arguments by special prosecutor Patty Eakes, who urged the jury to compare the officers’ statements with videos and witness testimony to determine the officers’ credibility. Eakes is prosecuting the case on behalf of the Washington Attorney General’s Office.

    • nova_ad_vitum@lemmy.ca
      15·
      11 months ago

      1. Wait for someone to take medication.

      2. Choke them to death

      3. Be found but guilty because they were on drugs.

      Congrats you legalized murder.

      • SwampYankee@mander.xyz
        2·
        11 months ago

        I don’t know that people really consider Floyd a hero… A martyr, maybe. He wasn’t fighting for anything except his own life, and it’s enough of a crime that it was taken away from him for allegedly using a fake $20 bill. Whatever kind of symbolic figure he is, is because of things that were done to him, not things that he did himself. The situation didn’t even warrant his arrest, but Thomas Lane walked up behind him sitting in his car and tapped on his window WITH A FUCKING GUN. Is that what they’re teaching in police gun safety classes? At no point did any one of those absolute shitbirds do a single thing right in their interaction with Floyd.