Washington State Considers Ban on Police Hog-Tying Following Manuel Ellis' Death

Democratic Sen. Yasmin Trudeau sponsors bill to prevent 'dehumanization' like Ellis faced, amid ongoing police reform efforts.

Washington state lawmakers are considering a proposal to ban police from hog-tying suspects, a technique that has drawn concern due to the risk of suffocation.
The proposal comes nearly four years after Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died while hog-tied by police, a case that became a touchstone for racial justice demonstrators in the Pacific Northwest.
Democratic Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, who sponsored the bill, said she doesn't want anyone else to experience the 'dehumanization' Ellis faced before his death.
Few states have banned prone restraint, despite the U.S. Department of Justice recommending against the practice since at least 1995 to avoid deaths in custody.
The bill comes a few years after a wave of ambitious police reform legislation passed in the state in 2021.