Police academy warned Tacoma Police about officer charged in Manuel Ellis' death

A new investigation from The Seattle Times uncovers a memo sent from the state's police academy to the Tacoma Police Department.

That memo warned the department about the behavior of a new recruit: Timothy Rankine.

In December 2018, Rankine was given a test at the state police academy. It was a simulated situation controlled by an academy instructor, where Rankine was asked to respond to a wellness check at a park. The simulation was meant to be a way for Rankine to practice non-lethal force.

Instead, Rankine shot the simulated person.

Two months later, Rankine became a fully fledged officer with the Tacoma Police Department.

In March 2020, he helped fatally restrain Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man and lifelong resident of Tacoma. Rankine is one of three Tacoma officers facing charges for Ellis' death.