Lawyers for three Washington state officers charged in the death of a Black man who was beaten, shocked and hogtied facedown on a sidewalk made their final arguments to the jury Wednesday before the prosecution had the final say and the jury was told to return Thursday to begin deliberations.
Two of the officers' lawyers focused their final arguments on the autopsy report, which said Manuel Ellis had a fatal level of methamphetamine in his system when he died. They also noted that the medical examiner said the spit hood, which was put on by a different officer, “was a significant factor and possibly the most important factor” in his death. The drugs were the cause, the lawyers concluded.
