SPOKANE, Wash.- The Washington State Senate has unanimously approved Senate Bill 6009, a policy banning the police practice of hog-tying.
Hog-tying, which is a restraint method used by law enforcement, became a subject of public controversy in March of 2020, when Manuel Ellis died after being hog-tied by Tacoma police officers. While the three officers involved in the death were acquitted of criminal charges on Jan. 16, the restraint practice remains under scrutiny by the Washington State Legislature.
Senator Yasmin Trudeau, the policy’s main sponsor, argued that the bill’s passage by the Senate marks an important progression in efforts to institute more equitable practices in policing.
“This bill builds on the work of this Legislature to prohibit excessive force. But I brought it as an opportunity for community healing, which can only occur when we agree to tell the truth, allow ourselves to grapple with it, and figure out how we move forward together toward a world where all communities feel and are truly safe,” Trudeau said.
The unanimous passage of the bill in the Senate moves the political dialogue surrounding the bill to the House, which is now responsible for advancing it.
Notably, the Spokane Police Department (SPD) has previously argued that the term “hog-tie” is inaccurate after Trent Yohe died while hog-tied by the SPD in May of 2007, resulting in legal accusations of excessive force. Spokane County paid Yohe’s family a $50,000 settlement in 2010.
With unanimous support for banning the practice in the Senate, there is a possibility that hog-tying may move from scrutinized to illegal during the 2024 Washington State legislative session.
