3 Officers Involved In The Killing Of Manuel Ellis Have Been Acquitted Of All Charges

The three Washington State officers involved in the death of Manuel Ellis in 2020 have been cleared of all charges by a jury.

A jury has acquitted three Washington State police officers in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis.

Matthew Collins, 40, Christopher Burbank, 38, and Timothy Rankine, 34, were cleared of all charges on Dec. 21, which included second-degree murder and manslaughter.

The decision shocked the court assembly and Ellis’ family, whose lawyer, Matthew Erickson, reacted to the verdict in an email. “The biggest reason why I personally think this jury found reasonable doubt is because the defense was essentially allowed to put Manny Ellis on trial,” he wrote.

“The defense attorneys were allowed to dredge up Manny’s past and repeat to the jury again and again Manny’s prior arrests in 2015 and 2019. That unfairly prejudiced jurors against Manny.”

The Ellis family immediately exited the courtroom after the decision was announced, and approximately 30 people gathered in protest at the Manuel Ellis mural in Tacoma later that evening, the outlet reports. The jury’s decision has sparked backlash across social media as well. “Manuel Ellis deserves so much better,” said one user. Another user referred to it as “straight-up murder” with no justice.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson also released a statement via X, formerly known as Twitter, commending his office’s prosecution team.

“I want to start by thanking the jury and court staff for their service,” he said. “I also want to thank the members of my legal team for their extraordinary hard work and dedication. I know the Ellis family is hurting, and my heart goes out to them,” he added.

In March 2020, Ellis was headed home from purchasing doughnuts when Collins and Burbank approached him after passing their police patrol car at a red light. After a brief exchange, the two officers hauled Ellis from his vehicle and “tackled and punched” him as well as tased him, according to HuffPost.

He was also held in a neck restraint. Several officers, including Rankine, arrived at the site when Ellis had already been handcuffed and was lying face-down. Rankine then proceeded to kneel on the young man’s back while he stated that he could not breathe. Ellis died on the scene.

Lawyers for the officers argued that Ellis died as a result of methamphetamine and a heart irregularity. However, the Pierce County medical examiner officially determined Ellis’ cause of death as homicide caused by oxygen deprivation.