The Tacoma Police Union blasted the charges in a statement and said they 'look forward to the trial.' Washington state attorney general Bob Ferguson received WSP’s investigation in early November, labeling it the 'top priority.' When asked by investigators whether it was clear Ellis was struggling to breathe prior to his death, officer Burbank said 'Not that I recall, no,' which was contrary to the video evidence produced by witnesses.Īccording to Washington State Patrol’s investigation, these differences were enough to charge the officers of the potential to spend the rest of their lives in prison. Burbank’s testimony leaves that detail out but noted there was a scuffle between the two. Testimony from both Burbank and Collins given to Washington State Patrol was said to have differed in multiple ways, while the witness testimonies were remarkably similar and failed to show Ellis assaulting the officers.Īccording to Collins, Ellis lifted him up 'like a child' and threw him to the ground. One of the videos shot by a witness failed to show Ellis striking the officers although it did show him resisting the officers’ efforts to restrain him, the statement said. Video evidence taken by witnesses shows the officers' statements to be true although the video also allegedly showed Ellis with his hands-up. However, multiple witness testimonies said officers attacked Ellis unprovoked thus counteracting the officers' claims that Ellis was the aggressor.ĭuring the physical altercation, Collins said he attempted a chokehold on Ellis while Burbank reported discharging his Taser in response to Ellis resisting arrest. The officers said Ellis punched the window of their police vehicle and attacked them as they were stepping out, according to statements from other officers’ cited in the charging documents. The encounter began after officers' Burbank and Collins reported seeing Ellis trying to get into occupied cars at a red light while walking to the local convenience store, police documents show. The medical examiner found a fatal amount of meth in Ellis' system. Ellis had a long criminal history & at the time of his death in March 2020 in Tacoma, Wash., he had a pending second-degree robbery case. #ManuelEllis' family said he was a peaceful musician at church. Under restraint by Tacoma police officers, Ellis complained and said 'I can’t breathe.' A nearly identical scenario that played out for George Floyd in Minnesota.ĭespite Manuel Ellis’ family remembering their loved one as peaceful musician at church, Ellis had an extensive criminal history and at the time of his death he had a pending second-degree robbery case.

Multiple officers that had been working when the charges were allegedly decided to stop responding to calls and leave their shift early.Įllis died in Tacoma while in police custody on March 3, 2020.Īn autopsy by the Pierce County Medical Examiner concluded the death a homicide as a result of physical restraint, but included that Ellis had a fatal amount of methamphetamine in his system and had dilated cardiomyopathy which were contributing factors in his death. Sources within the Tacoma Police Department told The Post Millennial that nearly an entire patrol shift on Thursday either called out sick or absent in response to the charges they believe were wrongfully placed against the officers.

This is the first time the Washington State attorneys general’s office has filed criminal charges against police officers for unlawful use of deadly force. The three Tacoma police officers were arrested Thursday.

The maximum sentence for both offenses is life in prison. Tacoma police officers Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins, were charged with second-degree murder, while Timothy Rankine was charged with first-degree manslaughter, the state attorney general said in a statement. Tacoma police officers called in sick or absent on Thursday after three Tacoma police officers were charged after a yearlong investigation over the death of Manuel Ellis, a 33-year-old black father that died in police custody last year.

Tacoma police blotter