In the case of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who died during a police confrontation in Washington in 2020, three Tacoma police officers were cleared of criminal charges by a Pierce County jury. The officers—Christopher Burbank, Timothy Rankine, and Matthew Collins—were accused of using excessive force that led to Ellis’ death. The officers claimed that Ellis died from a lethal amount of methamphetamine and a heart condition, not from their actions. However, the Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen during the physical restraint.
Ellis was walking home with doughnuts when he passed a police patrol car stopped at a red light, with Collins and Burbank inside. The officers claimed Ellis tried to open a car door as it passed by, and when they approached him, he became aggressive. Witnesses and video footage contradicted the officers’ claims, showing Burbank knocking Ellis down and Collins using a Taser and restraining him. His death occurred three months before George Floyd’s murder, sparking international outcry against police brutality.
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office in Olympia, Washington, recently announced that it had hired former Tacoma officer Christopher Burbank as a patrol deputy. Burbank, along with Rankine and Collins, were cleared of criminal charges in Ellis’ death. While the Tacoma Police Department found that the officers did not violate its use-of-force policy, they each resigned and were paid $500,000. The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle is reviewing the case for potential federal civil rights violations.
Three witnesses and a doorbell surveillance camera captured parts of the encounter between Ellis and the officers. They testified that Ellis had his hands up in a surrender position when Burbank shot a Taser at his chest and Collins restrained him. His death, ruled a homicide due to a lack of oxygen during restraint, highlighted issues of police brutality and excessive force. The Ellis family settled a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Pierce County for $4 million last year.
The trial was the first under a 5-year-old state law in Washington designed to make it easier to prosecute police accused of wrongfully using deadly force. The incident with Ellis, who was attempting to surrender, has drawn comparisons to George Floyd’s murder and fueled calls for justice for victims of police violence. The hiring of former officer Burbank by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has sparked outrage and reignited discussions about police accountability and reform in law enforcement.
