Nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis are hitting home especially hard in Tacoma, after the Pierce County medical examiner ruled the death of Manuel Ellis a homicide. In March, Ellis died in handcuffs while Tacoma police restrained him. The cause of death was respiratory arrest.
Jamika Scott is an organizer who has worked with Ellis' family to bring attention to his death.
"We see it as a problem that's not taking place here in Tacoma, but Manuel Ellis is not the first death that's been caused by the Tacoma police," Scott said. "And if things don't change, he certainly won't be the last."
Scott is a Tacoma native and a founding member of the Tacoma Action Collective. She sat down with KNKX Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to talk more broadly about the ongoing protests here and across the country. Listen to their full conversation above.
