Seattle, Washington – A former Tacoma police officer, Christopher Burbank, one of the three officers cleared of criminal charges in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man, has been hired by the neighboring Thurston County Sheriff’s Office in Olympia, Washington.
Burbank, along with officers Timothy Rankine and Matthew Collins, was acquitted by a Pierce County jury last December. The officers had been charged with manslaughter and second-degree murder in connection with Ellis’ death. However, their attorneys successfully argued that Ellis died from a lethal amount of methamphetamine and a heart condition, not from the officers’ actions.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner classified Ellis’ death as a homicide, attributing it to a lack of oxygen during the physical restraint. Ellis’ family, represented by attorney Matthew Ericksen, expressed shock and sadness over Burbank’s hiring. The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle is currently reviewing the case for potential federal civil rights violations, while a wrongful death lawsuit is pending.
Sheriff Derek Sanders defended Burbank’s hiring, stating that thorough background checks, including a polygraph, were conducted before his recruitment. Sanders emphasized the office’s efforts to enhance crisis response by incorporating mental health co-responders and maintaining transparency through the use of dashboard and body-worn cameras.
Ellis, 33, was fatally confronted by the officers while walking home in Tacoma in 2020. Witnesses disputed the officers’ claims of Ellis exhibiting aggressive behavior, and video evidence showed Burbank using a Taser on Ellis as he surrendered with his hands up. Ellis’ death occurred just months before George Floyd’s murder, igniting widespread protests against police brutality globally.
Despite the Tacoma Police Department’s conclusion that the officers did not violate their use-of-force policy at the time, the officers resigned and were each paid $500,000. A federal wrongful death lawsuit brought by Ellis’ family against Pierce County resulted in a $4 million settlement, with the case still pending against the city. This trial marked the first under a state law aimed at facilitating the prosecution of police officers accused of wrongfully using deadly force.