A jury has acquitted three Washington state police officers of all criminal charges in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man. The incident involved Ellis being shocked, beaten, and restrained face-down on a Tacoma sidewalk as he pleaded for breath. The officers, Matthew Collins, Christopher Burbank, and Timothy Rankine, were charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. The defense argued that Ellis died from a lethal amount of methamphetamine in his system and a pre-existing heart condition, not from the officers' actions. The jury found all three not guilty on all counts.
The verdict was met with shock and devastation from the Ellis family and the community. The defense's strategy, which involved bringing up Ellis's past arrests, was criticized for unfairly prejudicing jurors against him. The incident occurred when Ellis, walking home with doughnuts, encountered the officers. Witnesses contradicted the officers' claims, stating they did not see Ellis provoke the officers. Video evidence showed Ellis with his hands up in surrender as the officers used force against him.
The repercussions of this case extend beyond the courtroom, resonating with racial justice advocates in the Pacific Northwest. Ellis's death became a focal point for demonstrations, but it did not gain the same attention as the police killing of George Floyd three months later. The trial, lasting over two months, was the first under a state law designed to facilitate the prosecution of police accused of using deadly force wrongly.
The acquittal has sparked renewed discussions about the broken nature of the justice system, with critics expressing disappointment in the outcome. The Ellis family had previously settled a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Pierce County for $4 million. The city of Tacoma emphasized that the internal police department investigation would proceed independently, with possible disciplinary actions, including termination, to be decided based on findings within the next two weeks. Washington Governor Jay Inslee acknowledged the profound loss experienced by the Ellis family and emphasized the importance of a transparent investigation.
