3 Tacoma officers involved in Manuel Ellis' death charged with 2nd-degree murder, manslaughter

[Nevilledog]

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John FitzGerald
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Three Tacoma police officers have been criminally charged for the death of Manuel Ellis, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Thursday.

3 Tacoma officers involved in Manuel Ellis’ death charged with 2nd-degree murder, manslaughter
Three Tacoma police officers involved in the death of Manuel Ellis will be charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced...
thenewstribune.com
11:57 AM · May 27, 2021

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article250316639.html

Three Tacoma police officers have been criminally charged for the death of Manuel Ellis, Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced Thursday.

Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins were charged Thursday in Pierce County Superior Court with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. Timothy Rankine was charged with first-degree manslaughter.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the three officers, who have been on paid administrative leave since June 3.

If convicted on both charges, Burbank and Collins could serve life in prison. Rankine is facing 6-1/2 to 8-1/2 years in prison.

*snip*

[marble falls]

1. Just plain sickening.Weed sadists off the forces.

[uponit7771]

2. K&R, the 2009 FBI report is right back then; there are too many 88ers on too many police forces

[erronis]

3. Officer Friendlies? NOT. Disgusting and criminal.

The following account is taken from charging papers:

“When it begins, Burbank can be seen wrapping his arms around Ellis, lifting him into the air, and driving him down into the pavement, striking at him with one of his fists as he does so,” records say.

Ellis curled his legs into his body as Burbank backed away. His bag of snacks rolled away into the street.

Collins moved in next, shifting on top of Ellis and punching him in the head four times. Burbank pulled out his Taser.

One of the witnesses tried to interfere, calling out, ““Hey! Stop! Oh my God, stop hitting him! Stop hitting him! Just arrest him.”

It’s at that point, about one minute into the encounter, that a pizza delivery person driving by also began recording Ellis’ struggle with the two officers.

Collins was behind Ellis with his arm wrapped around Ellis’ neck and tried to put him in a neck restraint.

“Ellis was not fighting back,” prosecutors wrote.

None of the witnesses said they ever saw Ellis strike at Burbank or Collins. One told investigators Ellis didn’t even defend himself.

“The civilian witnesses’ accounts are corroborated by the video evidence,” according to charging papers. “The video depicts Ellis struggling at times against the officers’ restraints, but does not show Ellis attempting to strike the officers at any point.”

As Collins held Ellis in the neck restraint, Burbank pointed the Taser at Ellis’ chest. Ellis put his arms in the air, almost in surrender, before Collins pulled back on Ellis’ neck and rolled him onto the pavement.

Burbank tased Ellis as Ellis laid on the ground with his hands up. Collins still had him in a neck restraint.

“Hey, ya’ll in the wrong right now,” a bystander called to police.

After Collins stopped the neck restraint, Ellis’ head fell limply to the street, records say. The officer then pressed Ellis’ face into the pavement.