Manny Ellis was more than a man who died in police custody. ‘He had a good spirit’
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The police death of Manuel Ellis
More than a year after Manuel Ellis died in police custody, the attorney general charged three officers in his death.
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Manuel Ellis is largely known for his death at the hands of Tacoma police.
Before his name became a rallying cry across the state for those fighting for racial equality and against police brutality, Ellis lived a life marred by hardships but filled with love. It was a life he was straightening out in the months before his death March 3, 2020, family and friends say.
The 33-year-old Black man grew up in the Tacoma area with an older brother and younger sister. He attended Wilson High School and dreamed of becoming a professional musician.
Ellis started playing the drums when he was 3 and was skilled at the piano and keyboard. His favorite was jazz, but he had a fondness for soul and hip hop as well.
“My brother was musically talented,” said his sister, Monet Carter-Mixon. “He could pick up an instrument and play it.”
Struggles with addiction, mental health
As an adult, Ellis struggled with addiction to methamphetamine and mental health problems, family members said, including schizophrenia and depression.
He fathered two children, an 11-year-old boy and a 1-1/2-year-old girl.
Ellis loved his family and helped care for Carter-Mixon’s five boys. He watched Seahawks games with his nephews every Sunday, taught them sports trivia and often bought them snacks from a nearby convenience store.
“He stepped up to the plate and was basically being an uncle/father to my kids,” Carter-Mixon said. “My brother was overall a good dude. He had a good spirit. He was very loving.”
Loved ones considered Ellis something of a jokester with an infectious laugh, someone who found meaning in church, a man willing to give all he had to others.
“He had a big ol’ heart. He was a joy to be around because he made you laugh,” said Cedric Armstrong, who owned the clean-and-sober house where Ellis lived. “He would go out of his way to make sure you were cool. He was quick-witted and helpful. He was a gentle giant.”
The men met at a recovery meeting in August when Ellis asked if Armstrong had a spare room at his facility. He then moved downstairs from Armstrong and his family, living rent free the first two months but helping out by hooking up WiFi and doing other electronics work around the home.
Recovery and church work
Ellis began attending church with Armstrong and his wife at Last Day Ministries in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood and shortly afterward took to playing the drums during services.
He was proud of his sobriety and often asked his family to attend church with him.
On the night he died, Ellis played drums at a church revival. He was so overcome with love for God that he called his sister, who was already asleep and didn’t see the missed call until morning. He spoke with his mother and told her he loved her before hanging up.
Back home, Ellis hung out for a bit with Armstrong and his wife and ate a hamburger. He went to his bedroom and came back upstairs asking for a piece of paper. Armstrong handed him one.
Ellis played video games for a while with his roommate, Armstrong said, then walked to a convenience store for snacks.
It was something of a nightly routine for him. Ellis was taking medication for schizophrenia and it made him restless. An evening stroll for a late-night snack (he loved Reese’s peanut butter cups and Mamba sour fruit chews) helped calm him down so he could sleep.
But Ellis never made it home.
After hearing the news about Ellis’ death, Armstrong went down to Ellis’ bedroom and found the piece of paper lying on his bed.
Ellis had drawn three crosses on it and written what appeared to be a to-do list. The first two items were to call his son and King County courts. The third line said, “Stay sob,” Armstrong said, perhaps a reminder to stay the course he was on.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 11:03 AM.
