Tacoma officers who restrained Manuel Ellis on night of death put on leave Wednesday
Four Tacoma officers involved in restraining Manuel Ellis the night he died were put on administrative leave Wednesday morning.
The officers were placed on paid administrative leave after the incident on March 3 and had since returned to duty.
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards said in a press conference Wednesday afternoon that an independent investigation is currently underway by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
“Until that work is completed, we will not know all of the details in this case,” Woodards said. “I know you have a lot of questions, and so do I. I know you want answers, and so do I.”
Woodards said she expects an update from investigators Wednesday evening or Thursday morning.
The decision to put the officers on leave was made after a report from the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office, released May 11, determined Ellis died on March 3 of respiratory arrest due to hypoxia due to physical restraint.
His cause of death was initially listed as pending while medical examiners ran toxicology tests. The News Tribune learned during routine reporting Tuesday that the findings came back May 11.
This week, Tacoma police identified the four officers involved in restraining Ellis as Christopher Burbank, 34; Matthew Collins, 37; Masyih Ford, 28; and Timothy Rankine, 31.
Burbank and Collins are white. Ford is black. Rankine is Asian.
They have been on the force four and a half years, five years, two years and two months, and one year and 10 months, respectively.
Woodards addressed the Ellis family directly at the press conference on Wednesday.
“I’m sorry. Our city is sorry. Our council is sorry for your loss. But I commit to you as I’ve talked to his sister this afternoon — we will dive in as deep as we need to dive in to get all of the facts,” she said.
Woodards was joined at the press conference on Wednesday by ministers from the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance and the Black Collective.
“They’re standing with us today to hold us accountable — to make sure we are doing everything possible to get justice and answer for this community and for the Ellis family,” Woodards said.
Woodards, who is black, also spoke to protests happening in Tacoma and across the world over police brutality.
“I say to those who are protesting, and who will be in Tacoma tonight protesting: I know that energy and that anger has to come out,” she said. “But let it come out in your words. Let it come out in the signs that you hold. Walk as far as you need to walk to prove that you are demanding a different place, a different country and a different community for you and your family and for all of us.”
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 4:44 PM.
