Medical expert testifies restraint actions of Tacoma police killed Washington man

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — An expert in forensic pathology has testified in the ongoing trial of three Tacoma, Washington, police officers charged with the death of Manuel Ellis that Ellis likely would have lived if not for the officers’ actions. The Seattle Times reports Dr. Roger Mitchell, former chief medical examiner for Washington, D.C., made the statement Monday and last week affirmed the ex-Pierce County Medical Examiner’s ruling that Ellis, a Black man, died by homicide from oxygen deprivation caused by physical restraint. Officers Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank, both white, are charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of Ellis on March 3, 2020. Officer Timothy Rankine, who is Asian American, is charged with manslaughter. All have pleaded not guilty.