Webthe judge excluded a lawsuit alleging rankine used excessive force on a man who said he couldn’t breathe under rankine’s weight — as ellis did with his last words. Defendant timothy rankine listens to defense attorney mark conrad speak wednesday, oct. (ap) — two tacoma police officers involved in the death of manuel ellis have been accused of wrongfully arresting and using excessive force in an unrelated incident three months before their fatal encounter with ellis. Webseattle (ap) — one of the three tacoma police officers cleared of criminal charges in the 2020 death of manuel ellis — a black man who was shocked, beaten and restrained facedown on a sidewalk as he pleaded for breath — has been hired by a.