State Auditor’s Office publishes review of investigation into Manuel Ellis death

The Washington State Patrol’s investigation into the death of Manuel Ellis mostly followed state rules intended to ensure the agency’s work was credible, according to an audit published today (PDF). 

Ellis died during an altercation with Tacoma Police Department officers in 2020, leading to two investigations and criminal charges against three officers involved. A jury acquitted the officers of all charges in 2023.

“Manuel Ellis’ case was wrenching for everyone involved and for the greater Tacoma community," said State Auditor Pat McCarthy. “Our audit offers the public clarity on an important aspect of this controversial case. We found the State Patrol investigated this use of deadly force with independence, credibility and transparency.” 

State law requires the Office of the Washington State Auditor to audit every investigation into police use of deadly force from 2020 forward. These audits are initiated after the legal process has run its course, meaning some time elapses between the incident itself and the audit of the investigation. The Office completed 88 audits by the end of 2025, as shown in this summary report (PDF).

Each review determines whether the agency investigating a use of deadly force followed the Criminal Justice Training Commission’s rules.

While the State Patrol followed most of these rules in the Ellis investigation, it did not follow them all. For example, auditors noted the State Patrol did not maintain documentation to show it restricted its case file to participating investigators, or that it notified Ellis’ family of some press releases. These are among the more common findings of such audits. In its response to the audit report, the State Patrol said it has improved its processes and documentation practices.

Then-Gov. Jay Inslee later ordered the State Patrol to investigate the death of Ellis, and the agency did so under police reform laws that were new at the time, including forming an independent investigation team.

Before the State Patrol’s investigation, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department investigated Ellis’ death as a death while in police custody. Therefore, by its own acknowledgement, the Sheriff’s Department did not follow the use of deadly force investigation requirements that we audit. Considering this fact, we determined that an audit of its investigation to the standards set by the Criminal Justice Training Commission in alignment with Initiative 940 would not be an effective use of public resources.

You can read the full audit of the Ellis case investigation (PDF) on the State Auditor’s Office website.

You can also learn more about use of deadly force investigation audits and related audits. 

Media questions: Assistant Director of Communications Adam Wilson, Adam.Wilson@sao.wa.gov, 564-999-0799.