The U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington is launching an independent review of the state's case charging three Tacoma police officers with the death of Manuel Ellis. Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died in Tacoma police custody in March of 2020 after a confrontation with officers. A jury found all three officers not guilty of murder and manslaughter charges in late December. After the jury's decision, there were calls, including from the Ellis family's attorney, James Bible, for a federal investigation into the officers' actions on the night Ellis died, which has been done before in cases of police brutality, like in the murder of George Floyd. A spokesperson confirmed Friday that the office is "conducting an independent review of the state's case concerning Manuel Ellis' death. If that review reveals violations of federal criminal statutes, the Justice Department will take appropriate action." READ MORE: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/death-of-manuel-ellis/us-attorney-investigate-manuel-ellis-death/281-fa7aee2e-9fb7-4dfd-b727-66f559d0e6c4