South Sound

How four Tacoma police officers arrived at the street corner where Manny Ellis died

KNKX Public Radio | By Kirsten Kendrick,

Published October 19, 2022 at 6:00 AM PDT

A house with its front steps and lawn covered in signs next to a street light at an intersection with a cross in the grass by the sidewalk. — Signs and a cross are displayed Thursday, May 27, 2021, at the "Manny's Garden" memorial that has been established at the intersection in Tacoma, Wash., where Manuel "Manny" Ellis died on March 3, 2020, after he was restrained by police officers.

The Walk Home is a podcast, produced by KNKX in partnership with The Seattle Times, about the life and death of Manny Ellis, a Black man killed in Tacoma police custody in 2020.

KNKX Special Projects reporter and producer Will James joined Morning Edition Host Kirsten Kendrick to talk about the fifth episode, "The Other Side of the Line."

This latest episode investigates how four Tacoma police officers each had their own journeys to 96th and Ainsworth, the street corner where Manny died.

Its not just about four individuals but also the culture of policing, the history of the Tacoma police department and the job that modern police officers face. And there's an unexpected connection between one of the officers and Manny's family.

You can subscribe to the series at thewalkhomepodcast.org and listen to the full episode on all podcast platforms.