Manuel Ellis’ family launches anti-discrimination initiative in his honor

A new anti-discrimination ballot initiative was launched Wednesday in honor of Manual Ellis, a Black man who died while being restrained by Tacoma Police.

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The Manuel Ellis Washington Anti-Discrimination Act covers everything from police use of deadly force, COVID testing, and affirmative action.

Ellis’ sister says it’s about ensuring what happened to her brother doesn’t happen to anyone else.

“We can’t stop what happened to our brother. If this was to happen again, especially to a person that is under-represented, it would go unnoticed, more than likely,” she said.

Ellis’ brother Matthew said it’s been difficult heading into the family’s first holiday season without Manny, and still no results in the investigation into his death.

“We’re just so upset that he can no longer be here anymore, but that he was killed the way he was killed.”

So the family is backing I-1300, which would not only extend legal protections against discrimination to include public health and safety, and declare protection from discriminatory deadly use of police force a civil right, it would also require free COVID vaccines.

“This act would make it a human right, a civil right, to not be choked to death by police officers,” attorney James Bible explained. “This act will address excessive force and the disproportionalities and terms of excessive force.”

Organizers would need to get 300,000 signatures by Dec. 31, 2020, to get the initiative to the legislature.

Photos: Vigil in Tacoma for Manuel Ellis

KIRO Radio reporter Hanna Scott contributed to this report.