The Washington State Senate Members of Color Caucus today issued the following statement in response to the Attorney General’s most recent action in the case of Manuel Ellis’ death.

“As the Members of Color Caucus of the Washington State Senate, we send love and solidarity to Manuel Ellis’ loved ones and community. The Attorney General’s decision to charge two of the involved law enforcement officers with murder and one other with manslaughter may be meaningful progress toward justice, but we know the process to get here was a long and painful one for Manny’s friends and family, and for so many others in our community.

We also recognize that this decision is just one step of many – including the community-led, comprehensive police accountability legislation we passed this session – to keep our Black and brown neighbors safe during interactions with the police. And we commit to continuing the work to heal our state and move toward a more just Washington for every single one of us.”