"Acquitted Tacoma Officers to Receive $500,000 Each and Resign After Manuel Ellis' Death"

Three Washington state police officers cleared of criminal charges in the death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died in police custody, will each receive $500,000 to leave the Tacoma Police Department. The officers were acquitted in December, and the city released "voluntary separation" agreements with them as the police chief announced that none violated the use-of-force policy in effect at the time. The decision has sparked controversy, with critics calling it a reward for Ellis' death, while the U.S. attorney's office in Seattle is reviewing the case. Ellis' death became a focal point for racial justice protests in the Pacific Northwest, and his family settled a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Pierce County for $4 million last year.