Washington
Washington state lawmaker pushes to ban hog-tying by police following Manuel Ellis' death
SEATTLE — (AP) — Washington state lawmakers are expected to consider a proposal Monday to prohibit police from hog-tying suspects, nearly four years after Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died facedown with his hands and feet cuffed together behind him in a case that became a touchstone for racial justice demonstrators in the Pacific Northwest.
The restraint technique has long drawn concern due to the risk of suffocation, and while many cities and counties have banned the restraint technique, it remains in use in others.
Democratic Sen. Yasmin Trudeau, who sponsored the bill, said she doesn’t want anyone else to experience the “dehumanization” Ellis faced before his death.
“How do we move through the need for folks to enforce the laws, but do it in a way where they’re treating people the way we expect, which is as human beings?” she said.
In the last four years, states across the U.S. have rushed to pass sweeping policing reforms, prompted by racial injustice protests and the death of George Floyd and others at the hands of law enforcement. Few have banned prone restraint, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
California prohibited law enforcement in 2021 from using techniques that “involve a substantial risk of positional asphyxia,” in which the body’s position hinders the ability to breathe. That same year, Minnesota banned correctional officers from using prone restraint unless “deadly force is justified.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has recommended against the practice since at least 1995 to avoid deaths in custody, and many local jurisdictions bar it.
The attorney general’s office in Washington recommended against using hog-tying in its model use-of-force policy released in 2022. At least four local agencies continue to permit it, according to policies they submitted to the attorney general’s office that year.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said it still allows hog-tying but declined to comment on the bill. One of the department’s deputies was involved in restraining Ellis, whose face was covered by a spit-hood when he died.
Ellis was walking home in March 2020 when he passed a patrol car with Tacoma police officers Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank, who are white. Burbank and Collins said Ellis tried to get into a stranger’s car and then attacked the officers when they confronted him in the city about 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of Seattle.
Witnesses said the officers jumped out of their car as Ellis walked by and knocked him to the ground.
He was shocked and beaten. Officers wrapped a hobble restraint device around his legs and linked it to his handcuffs behind his back while he remained in the prone position, according to a probable cause statement filed by the Washington attorney general’s office.
After the hobble was applied, Ellis stopped moving, the statement said.
A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by lack of oxygen. Collins, Burbank and a third officer, Timothy Rankine, were charged with murder or manslaughter. Defense attorneys argued Ellis’ death was caused by methamphetamine intoxication and a heart condition, and a jury acquitted them in December.
Trudeau, who represents Tacoma, said she made sure Ellis’ sister, Monet Carter-Mixon, approved of her efforts before introducing the bill.
Democratic Sen. John Lovick, who worked as a state trooper for more than 30 years, joined Trudeau in sponsoring the bill.
Republican Rep. Gina Mosbrucker, a member of the House public safety committee, said she looked forward to learning more about the legislation.
“If it does turn out that this form of restraint for combative detainees is dangerous in any way, then I think the state should put together a grant and some money to buy and train on alternative methods to make sure that the officer and the person arrested is safe,” she said.
The bill comes a few years after a wave of ambitious police reform legislation passed in the state in 2021.
The legislation included requirements that officers could use force only when they had probable cause to make an arrest or to prevent imminent injury, and required them to use appropriate de-escalation tactics if possible.
The following year, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee approved bills fixing some elements of that legislation, including making it clear officers may use force to help detain or transport people in behavioral health crises.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Washington
Cyclones name WSU’s Rogers to replace Campbell
Washington State coach Jimmy Rogers has agreed to a six-year deal to become the next coach at Iowa State, the school announced Friday.
Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard moved quickly to replace departing coach Matt Campbell, who agreed to an eight-year deal to take over Penn State on Friday, and landed Rogers, a proven winner at the FCS level who just concluded his first regular season at Washington State.
“Jimmy Rogers is a rising star in college athletics who has very strong ties to the Midwest both as a player and as a coach,” Pollard said in a statement. “He has been on my short-list ever since the first time I met him. He immediately impressed me with his interest in Iowa State University and told me during our first visit several years ago that he wanted to be the next head coach at Iowa State.
“Since our initial meeting, I have stayed in close contact with him and have been very impressed with his work ethic and understanding of what it takes to be successful at Iowa State,” Pollard added. “He is a proven winner who has demonstrated throughout his career that he will fit our culture.”
Rogers, 38, has a 33-9 record over three seasons as a head coach. He went 6-6 in his debut season at Washington State after overseeing a significant roster rebuild following the departure of coach Jake Dickert to Wake Forest.
“My family and I are excited to be joining the Iowa State University community and the Cyclone football program,” Rogers said in a statement. “Iowa State has been one of the nation’s top programs for the last decade and we look forward to building upon its upward trajectory. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity that Jamie Pollard has given me to lead the Cyclones.”
Rogers previously spent 12 years at South Dakota State and led his alma mater to an FCS national championship in 2023 with a 15-0 season in his first year as the Jackrabbits’ head coach after taking over for longtime coach John Stiegelmeier.
Rogers carried a 29-game win streak into his second year as coach and achieved a No. 3 finish in 2024 with a run to the FCS playoff semifinals and a 12-3 season.
The Jackrabbits also won the FCS national championship in 2022 after Rogers was elevated to being the team’s sole defensive coordinator, and they played for another FCS title in 2020.
Campbell, the winningest coach in Iowa State history with 72 victories, led the Cyclones to eight winning seasons during his decade at the helm and two appearances in the Big 12 championship game.
The Cyclones went 8-4 this season and are awaiting their bowl selection on Sunday.
Washington
William C. Dudley Named President of Claremont McKenna College
William C. Dudley, president of Washington and Lee University, has been named the sixth president of Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California. He will complete the current academic year at W&L and begin his new role on July 1, 2026.
In a personal announcement to the W&L community on Dec. 5, President Dudley noted that 2026 would mark his 10th Commencement at Washington and Lee. He praised the students, faculty and staff, noting that “I take pride in leaving Washington and Lee in a strong position, and in knowing that our exceptionally talented students, faculty, and staff will continue to advance our educational mission long after I am gone. Each of you plays a part in making the university the best it can be for current students. And all of you seize opportunities to strengthen the university for future generations. If you do those things every day and take stock once a decade, it is gratifying to consider what we have accomplished.”
Wali Bacdayan, Rector of Washington and Lee’s Board of Trustees, said the Board will engage a nationally recognized search firm to assist the University in conducting a search process that includes input from students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the university. Details on the search will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Will has been an exceptional leader for Washington and Lee for almost a decade,” said Bacdayan. “From the moment he stepped on campus, he has exhibited a deep appreciation for W&L’s culture and distinctive strengths, which are encapsulated in the strategic plan that he developed in concert with the Board of Trustees and campus community. His commitment to expanding access and affordability was realized through Bill Miller’s extraordinary $132 million gift, which made the university need-blind in undergraduate admissions. He was also instrumental in expanding student opportunities, curricular programs, and campus facilities. Will is leaving W&L in a position of strength, and we are grateful for his dedication and service.”
As president of Washington and Lee, Dudley initiated a comprehensive strategic planning process to build on the university’s strengths while furthering initiatives in support of W&L’s aspiration to be a national model for liberal arts education in the 21st century. In 2024, the University launched the largest fundraising campaign in its history, Leading Lives of Consequence, with a $650 million goal. The campaign has raised over $568 million to date and is ahead of schedule for a successful conclusion in June 2027.
Throughout his tenure at W&L, Dudley prioritized student access, affordability, and opportunity, implementing need-blind undergraduate admissions and boosting enrollment among first-generation, low-income, and rural student populations. The university expanded financial support for faculty-mentored research and study abroad and enhanced its curriculum with new minors in data science, entrepreneurship, legal studies, and arts management, and the creation of the DeLaney Center for the study of Southern race relations, culture, and politics. Critical facilities added to the campus include the Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center; the new academic building for the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics; the Lindley Center for Student Wellness; and the Harte Center for Teaching and Learning. Plans are underway for a new Admissions and Financial Aid center, an institutional history museum, and an expanded and renovated science center.
Dudley became the 27th president of Washington and Lee in January 2017, after serving for five years as the provost of his alma mater, Williams College. In that role, he oversaw academic operations, allocated college resources, and helped to establish priorities for Teach It Forward: The Campaign for Williams, which raised more than $750 million.
A respected leader in higher education, Dudley currently serves on the boards of the Annapolis Group of Liberal Arts Colleges, the Associated Colleges of the South, and the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. He received a gubernatorial appointment to the board of trustees of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2010 and served as the vice-chair in 2015-16.
Dudley earned a B.A. in mathematics and philosophy, magna cum laude, from Williams College in 1989, where he was captain of the water polo team, a member of the swim team, and the recipient of a Herchel Smith Fellowship to study at Cambridge University from 1989 to 1990. Dudley worked for AES from 1990 to 1992 before pursuing graduate studies at Northwestern University, where he earned an M.A. and a Ph.D. in philosophy.
His scholarship focuses on 19th-century German philosophy. Dudley is the author of two books — “Understanding German Idealism” (2007) and “Hegel, Nietzsche and Philosophy: Thinking Freedom” (2002) — the editor of volumes on Kant and Hegel, and has published numerous scholarly articles. He received fellowships in support of his research from the American Council of Learned Societies and the Humboldt Foundation.
Dudley joined the Williams College faculty in 1998, teaching courses on moral and political philosophy, metaphysics and epistemology, the philosophy and economics of higher education, and the spiritual significance of sports. At W&L, he teaches an annual seminar on virtue ethics and liberal arts education.
“Washington and Lee is an extraordinary university, with tremendous momentum,” said Dudley. “It has been my honor and pleasure to serve as the president. I treasure my relationships with W&L students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of this exceptional place.”
Washington
FBI makes arrest in investigation into pipe bombs placed in DC on eve of Jan. 6 riot, AP source says – WTOP News
The arrest marks the first time investigators have settled on a suspect in an act that had long vexed law enforcement, spawned a multitude of conspiracy theories and remained an enduring mystery in the shadow of the dark chapter of American history that is the violent Capitol siege.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI made an arrest on Thursday in its nearly 5-year-old investigation into who placed pipe bombs in Washington on the eve of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press.
The arrest marks the first time investigators have settled on a suspect in an act that had long vexed law enforcement, spawned a multitude of conspiracy theories and remained an enduring mystery in the shadow of the dark chapter of American history that is the violent Capitol siege.
The official who described the arrest was not authorized to publicly discuss a case that has not yet been made public and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The arrest took place Thursday morning, and the suspect is a man, the official said. No other details were immediately available, including the charges the man might face.
The pipe bombs were placed on the evening of Jan. 5, 2021, near the offices of the Democratic and Republican national committees in the District of Columbia. Nobody was hurt before the bombs were rendered safe, but the FBI has said both devices could have been lethal.
In the years since, investigators have sought the public’s help in identifying a shadowy subject seen on surveillance camera even as they struggled to determine answers to basic questions, including the person’s gender and motive and whether the act had a clear connection to the riot at the Capitol a day later when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the building in a bid to halt the certification of the Republican’s 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Seeking a breakthrough, the FBI last January publicized additional information about the investigation, including an estimate that the suspect was about 5-foot-7, as well as previously unreleased video of the suspect placing one of the bombs.
The bureau had for years struggled to pinpoint a suspect despite hundreds of tips, a review of tens of thousands of video files and a significant number of interviews.
In the absence of harder evidence, Republican lawmakers and right-wing media outlets promoted conspiracy theories about the pipe bombs. House Republicans also criticized security lapses, questioning how law enforcement failed to detect the bombs for 17 hours. Dan Bongino, the current FBI deputy director, floated the possibility last year before being tapped for his job that the act was an “inside job” and involved a “massive cover-up.”
But since arriving at the FBI in March, he has sought to deliver action to a restive base on the far right by promising that the pipe bombs investigation would be a top priority and defending the bureau’s work.
“We brought in new personnel to take a look at the case, we flew in police officers and detectives working as TFOs (task force officers) to review FBI work, we conducted multiple internal reviews, held countless in person and SVTC meetings with investigative team members, we dramatically increased investigative resources, and we increased the public award for information in the case to utilize crowd-sourcing leads,” he wrote in a long post on X last month.
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© 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
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