Here are the Tacoma officers involved in the death of Manuel Ellis
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The police death of Manuel Ellis
More than a year after Manuel Ellis died in police custody, the attorney general charged three officers in his death.
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Five Tacoma police officers were involved in the death of Manuel Ellis, whose name has become a rallying cry against police brutality in Washington state.
Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died March 3, 2020, while being restrained by officers after a violent minutes-long struggle at the corner of of 96th Street South and Ainsworth Avenue.
He died from lack of oxygen, with methamphetamine and heart disease listed as contributing factors.
The Washington Attorney General filed felony charges Thursday, May 27 against three Tacoma police officers. Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins were charged with second-degree murder and Timothy Rankine with first-degree manslaughter.
Video surfaced months after Ellis’ death, capturing him saying “I can’t breathe, sir, I can’t breathe,” shortly before losing consciousness.
All five officers remain on paid administrative leave.
A Pierce County sheriff’s employee, Gary Sanders, also helped hold Ellis’ foot but was never placed on administrative leave. It was Sanders’ assistance in restraining Ellis that prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to take the investigation from the Sheriff’s Department and ask the Washington State Patrol to launch a new one.
Christopher Burbank
Age: 35
Race: White
Hired: Dec. 1, 2015
Background: He served in the U.S. Army from 2002 to 2010 and earned the Medal of Valor. He worked as a police officer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before coming to Tacoma.
Prior infractions: In July 2016, he rear-ended someone stopped at a red light in Bonney Lake because he was using a police computer and failed to come to a complete stop. He had to complete an online course in distracted driving and review department policies with his supervisor.
Charges: The Washington Attorney General announced May 27 that Christopher Burbank has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to Manuel Ellis’ death.
From the AG’s charging decision: Eye witnesses reported Burbank “abruptly swung open the passenger door of the car, striking Ellis from behind and knocking him to his knees.” From witness video 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.” Burbank fires his Taser at Ellis multiple times.
Matthew Collins
Age: 38
Race: White
Hired: June 15, 2015
Background: He served in the U.S. Army for seven years and was an Army Ranger. Since coming to Tacoma, he has worked in control tactics, range safety and SWAT.
Prior infractions: None
Charges: The Washington Attorney General announced May 27 that Matthew Collins has been charged with second-degree murder in connection to Manuel Ellis’ death.
From the AG’s charging decision: Eye witnesses reported Collins, who was driving the car, run around the front towards Ellis. “Collins then moves in towards Ellis and brings his weight down onto him. With Ellis underneath him, Collins begins striking Ellis’s head with his fist. … Collins can be seen on S.M.’s video striking Ellis’s head four times, with Ellis screaming after each strike.” According to witness video, Collins wrapped his arm around the front of Ellis’ neck, then locked his hands together while squeezing, applying what is called a lateral vascular neck restraint. “Ellis was not fighting back.”
Timothy Rankine
Age: 32
Race: Asian
Hired: Aug. 6, 2018
Background: He served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and earned a Purple Heart.
Prior infractions: None
Charges: The Washington Attorney General announced May 27 that Timothy Rankine has been charged with first-degree manslaughter in connection to Manuel Ellis’ death.
From the AG’s charging decision: Rankine told investigators when he arrived on scene, Elliis was in the prone position on his stomach. “Rankine ran over and started applying pressure to Ellis’s back. He saw that Ellis was already in handcuffs. Rankine then put ‘all [his] weight to the middle of [Ellis’s] body, securing [his] right knee over the top of his spine just below the base of his neck’ with his ‘left knee in the middle of his spine, on his lower back.’”
Armando Farinas
Age: 27
Race: Unknown
Hired: Sept. 18, 2017
Background: Unknown
Prior infractions: Unknown
Charges: Armando Farinas was not charged in connection with Manuel Ellis’ death.
From the AG’s charging decision: Farinas was not mentioned in the AG’s report.
Masyih Ford
Age: 29
Race: Black
Hired: March 19, 2018
Background: He graduated from Stadium High School in Tacoma and attended classes at Western Washington University before finding seasonal work in North Cascades National Park through a student program meant to bring diversity to national parks. He also worked for two years as a public safety officer with Pierce Transit.
Prior infractions: None
Charges: Masyih Ford was not charged in connection with Manuel Ellis’ death.
From the AG’s charging decision: Ford was not mentioned in the AG’s report.
Read more about the officers here.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 11:03 AM.
