TACOMA, Wash. — A coalition of organizations in Tacoma is calling on the Department of Justice to put an end to a culture of “use of force abuse” in the Tacoma Police Department.
The Tacoma Pierce County Coalition says the issue has been going on for decades.
In a 10-page letter, the coalition outlined more than a decade of data about how police handle Black suspects in the city and the disproportionate amount of times use of force shows up in arrests, compared to white suspects.
The group also used the recent Manuel Ellis trial to argue that there is no accountability.
Ellis was killed during a violent arrest in 2020.
Three officers were tried and found not guilty of criminal wrongdoing.
The case and a handful of others over the last 14 years lead the group to believe there’s a pattern, but don’t blame the city’s current leaders.
“We recognize that Tacoma’s mayor and police chief have inherited this system, which has failed to properly serve the Black community in Tacoma for many years. Our Coalition is now moving forward to seek federal intervention and oversight to enact the necessary reforms,” the letter said.
KIRO 7 reached out to Tacoma Police for their response to the letter but has not heard back.