Community, elected officials react to verdict in Manny Ellis trial
Three Tacoma officers were found not guilty in the death of Manny Ellis.
Matthew Collins, 40, and Christopher Burbank, 38, were charged with 2nd-degree murder and 1st-degree manslaughter. They were found not guilty of all counts.
Timothy Rankine, 34, was charged with 1st-degree manslaughter. He was found not guilty.
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Matthew Ericksen, a lawyer representing the Ellis family, said it was hard to convey how devastating the verdict was for the family and community.
As the sun went down, about 30 people gathered near the Manuel Ellis mural in Tacoma, closing an intersection, chanting, “No justice, no peace.”
“I know the Ellis family is hurting, and my heart goes out to them,” he said.
FULL VERDICT: Jury finds all 3 Tacoma police officers not guilty in Manny Ellis’s death
Three officers were facing a variety of murder and manslaughter charges in connection to the death of Manuel ‘Manny’ Ellis, who died in Tacoma police custody in 2020.
Roger Rogoff, director of the state’s recently created Office of Independent Investigations, which is tasked with investigating police shootings, said he did not want to comment directly on the verdict but expressed sympathy for the Ellis family.
Manuel “Manny” Ellis’ death
Ellis was shocked with a Taser, beaten and restrained face down on a Tacoma sidewalk, with police on top of him, as he pleaded for breath. The Pierce County medical examiner ruled Ellis’ death a homicide caused by oxygen deprivation, but lawyers for the officers say a high level of methamphetamine in Ellis’ system and a heart irregularity were to blame.
Witnesses — one of whom yelled for the officers to stop attacking Ellis — and a doorbell surveillance camera recorded video of parts of the encounter. The video showed Ellis with his hands up in a surrender position as Burbank shot a Taser at Ellis’ chest and Collins wrapped an arm around his neck from behind. It also caught Ellis addressing the officers as “sir” as he told them repeatedly he couldn’t breathe.
Officers charged with murder, manslaughter
Timothy Rankine, 34, is charged with manslaughter.
What sentence did the officers face if convicted?
The standard sentence for first degree manslaughter is 6.5 to 8.5 years.
IN-DEPTH COVERAGE: Manny Ellis Case and Trial Recap
