High-profile trial in Pierce County Superior Court

Many of you are aware that the trial of three Tacoma Police Department officers accused of killing Manuel “Manny” Ellis is underway in Pierce County Superior Court.

Jury selection began on Sept. 18 and the prosecution and defense are scheduled to begin their opening statements today, Oct. 3.

This high-profile trial is expected to run through early December, and there will be significant news and social media coverage of the court proceedings. Community interest in the trial will likewise be high.

The death of Manny Ellis here in Tacoma reminds us that our nation is still grappling with systemic patterns of tragic interactions between police and BIPOC communities. The trial is an important and necessary step, but only one step, on the path toward greater accountability of law enforcement in our communities.

Our campus communications team and safety and security team have been in close contact with Pierce County Superior Court for several months to plan for every contingency. Our community expects the Court and stakeholder institutions, such as UW Tacoma, to do what we can to protect the integrity of the Court’s proceedings throughout the duration of the trial.

Two of our core values are at work simultaneously: our robust support for the rights of free expression and peaceful protest, and an equally strong position that when peaceful protest shades over into violence, not only is our community harmed, but the causes of those who resort to it are weakened.

If you want to follow the course of the trial, both the News Tribune and local news radio station KNKX are in the media pool providing coverage. You can watch a livestream of the trial on this Pierce County webpage.

If you see a colleague or student who may be struggling, please reach out to them.

For students, UW Tacoma offers Psychological & Wellness Services, MySSP and the Office of Equity & Inclusion (OEI). HuskiesCare is a hub with resources for many basic needs and concerns.

Employees can reach out to the Washington Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if you need additional support. EAP is confidential and no information is shared with anyone at UW.

OEI will offer space for UW Tacoma community members to gather in dialog about how they are processing the trial and to support one another, with event details coming soon.

As the trial unfolds, we ask that you remember what it means to be a Husky – a belief that you have something to contribute, a respect that others may have different values, and a responsibility to engage with each other with empathy.