Episode 7 of The Walk Homepodcast is about a law enforcement official who has been part of the Manny Ellis case since the start: Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer.
In his former longtime role of spokesperson, Troyer was the recognizable face of the sheriff's office. For years, he'd been a calm, steady voice when anything terrible happened in Pierce County, like the brutal murders of Charlie and Braden Powell or the 2009 shooting of four police officers in Lakewood.
Troyer still held that job when Ellis died in Tacoma police custody. He was quoted in the first stories about Ellis' death, which helped shape a narrative that's now being questioned by the state Attorney General's Office and has resulted in charges of murder and manslaughter for three Tacoma police officers.
Troyer, too, is facing charges from the Attorney General's office in connection with a phone call he made to police about a Black newspaper delivery driver in his neighborhood.
KNKX South Sound reporter Kari Plog joined Morning Edition host Kirsten Kendrick to share part of the latest episode, where she talks about Troyer and the parallels between the two cases. Listen above.
The Walk Home is 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. Subscribe to the series on all podcast platforms.
