Tacoma, Washington State – Marcia Carter, 62, stands on the sidewalk gazing solemnly at the single-storey housing unit with its peeling white and blue paint. The front porch of the decaying property is sealed off with plywood. Beside Marcia, on a patch of dying grass, is a small wooden crucifix, wrapped in a Seattle Seahawks bandana, and dotted with stickers of musical notes. It is inscribed with a date: 03-03-2020.
It was here that Marcia’s son, Manuel Elijah Ellis, was killed by Tacoma police officers as he walked home from a convenience store two years ago. His final words were, “I can’t breathe.”
