Body cameras: Time to end all excuses, Tacoma
Re: “No body cameras is failure for Tacoma,” (TNT, 6/5).
The News Tribune was spot on with this editorial. The world has seen the video of officers who killed George Floyd. In Pierce County, the news highlighted a similar death, that of Manuel Ellis.
Today Tacoma police officers still do not have body cams. There are many arguments against them, but largely the cries are against the expense. We can no longer use that excuse.
Financial repercussions come when our society is fed up and peaceful protests turn violent. The cost of the police deployment, property destruction, looting and health care needs are just being added up.
We can’t afford not to spend the money. Because we are fed up.
Video finally surfaced from two sources from the night Ellis died in Tacoma. Those videos show his death wasn’t so different; he was subdued when he begged for his life and said: “I can’t breathe, sir.”
Police officers did not respond with humanity. It has already been ruled a homicide. But it will be a long time before there is justice.
Eva Day Wulff, Eatonville
This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 11:20 AM with the headline "Body cameras: Time to end all excuses, Tacoma."