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.
I mean your overall point is valid, but
He was on several different types of recreational drugs, in addition to a few types of medication.
It’s specifically not valid.
What you’re saying literally doesn’t matter.
People for whom truth doesn’t matter can be ignored without effort.
Cool. I’ll go ahead and keep ignoring you.
That sounds like a good idea. You can also block me if just ignoring doesn’t work for you.