Manuel Ellis case: City, state leaders react to decision charging Tacoma police in death
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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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Elected officials in Tacoma, Pierce County and across Washington state reacted to the announcement by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Thursday that Tacoma police officers will face criminal charges for the death of Manuel Ellis.
Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards addressed Ellis’ family directly in a statement during a special City Council meeting, convened for an executive session to “discuss potential litigation,” after which Council approved a joint statement regarding the charging decision.
“Our condolences continue to go out to you,” Woodards said. “We are all deeply concerned and deeply sad for what has taken place in our community. But we stand united as a council to make sure that not only do we address what’s happened to Manuel Ellis, but that we continue to make sure that we’re moving forward with our processes for accountability, changing the way that our system works so that there is not another Manuel Ellis case in the city of Tacoma.”
Ferguson’s office charged Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins with second-degree murder and Timothy Rankine with first-degree manslaughter. The charges were filed in Pierce County Superior Court.
If convicted, the standard sentencing range for second-degree murder with no prior criminal history is 10 to 18 years in prison, according to a press release from the The standard range for first-degree manslaughter with no prior criminal history is 6.5 to 8.5 years. The maximum sentence for both offenses is life in prison. Warrants have been issued for the three officers’ arrest.
It’s the first time the attorney general has criminally charged police for the unlawful use of deadly force.
Following the announcement, Tacoma City Council held a special Zoom meeting and convened into executive session to discuss potential litigation before returning to the public and speaking to the decision.
City manager Elizabeth Pauli responded to Council member questions about the case, including whether the city will fire the officers.
Pauli said the city is not prepared to do that at this time, but the officers remain on administrative leave and the city is reviewing their employment in light of the decision.
“We are not prepared for disciplinary action today, but we understand the urgency of these next steps, the importance of these next steps, and as I say they began today, with earnest,” Pauli said.
City Council member Kristina Walker said that the length of the process has been frustrating, not only for Council members but the community as well.
“I’m feeling this, the weight and the length of the time that we’ve been waiting,” she said.
Council member Conor McCarthy pressed for “swift action” in response to Thursday’s decision.
“My comment is simply that the attorney general has filed two murder charges and a manslaughter charge against three Tacoma police officers today, and for the benefit of our community, for the benefit of the Manuel Ellis family, swift action needs to be taken,” he said.
Tacoma Police Chief Mike Ake said Thursday that the police department will “make further determination whether any disciplinary actions, policy or training changes will occur due to the findings. Today we’ll issue notice of investigations on the involved officers, and, and to let them know of our process.”
Governor’s response
Gov. Jay Inslee released a statement Thursday afternoon, calling the decision the “first step in our system of justice.”
“I thank Attorney General Bob Ferguson and his office for a comprehensive investigation into the death of Manny Ellis last year in Tacoma,” Inslee wrote. “In June, I called for a new investigation and for the attorney general to make a charging decision in the case, as it was clear to me that those needed to be made independent from Pierce County law enforcement. The resulting charging decision that was made today by Attorney General Bob Ferguson is the result of that investigation. This decision is within the authority of the attorney general’s office and I look forward to a full briefing on their findings.”
“This year, I signed more than 12 bills creating the most comprehensive police accountability laws in the nation,” Inslee continued. “It is my fervent hope that we can avoid future incidents and deaths. We must remain proactive – from those of us in elected office to those providing services in our communities – to turn the tide of injustice. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, ‘the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice,’ and it takes all of us to usher it into existence.”
Pierce County
Pierce County Council Chairman Derek Young (D-Gig Harbor) said reading the charges about the incident is disturbing.
“My thoughts are with the Ellis family. I’m glad they have this first step for justice for Manny,” he told The News Tribune. “This is another signal that work is not complete.”
Pierce County Council released a joint statement in response to Thursday’s decision.
“Pierce County has a complex history that includes efforts to achieve greater justice, equality, and understanding among all residents, as well as times when we have fallen short of our values,” the statement said. “We will face challenges as they come and remain focused on the work—including listening and learning—to develop innovative policies, programs, and services providing every Pierce County resident a better future.
“As outlined by the Council last summer in our call for a thorough review of the county’s law and justice systems, we value inclusivity and are committed to transparent, open dialogue to achieve those goals.”
County Executive Bruce Dammeier did not respond to The News Tribune’s request for comment, but sent an email to staff following the court filing. Dammeier, who is a Puyallup Republican, said the county has taken steps “to prevent such a tragic incident.”
He pointed to the internal criminal justice review panel to address equity in the the prosecutor’s office, and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. Body and patrol vehicle dash cameras will be added to the county sheriff department.
The medical examiner’s office is working to significantly reduce the time it takes to get autopsy results to grieving families, and the human services department is looking to make critical behavioral health services more readily available, his email said.
“My heart goes out to Manny Ellis’ family and friends as they grieve his loss,” Dammeier said to staff. “They still have a painful path ahead. Let’s do our part to make sure no one in Pierce County has to walk that road again.”
Legislature
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) deferred comment about the AG’s charges to the members of the Black Members Caucus after contacted by The News Tribune.
State Rep. Melanie Morgan (D-Lakewood) said the news is bittersweet.
“I think that we are moving in the right direction, that we are acknowledging that a crime happened,” she told The News Tribune following the announcement. “We are not sweeping it under the rug anymore.”
Morgan, who is a member of the Black Members Caucus, said legislation is now being used to help protect people of color. Washington Initiative-940, among other things, required police to receive de-escalation training and changed standards for use of deadly force by adding a “good faith” standard and independent investigation.
The state representative said she was not expecting the state to charge the officers involved in Ellis’ death.
“My first inclination is they’re not going to do anything, because that’s what we have seen for 400 years,” she said. “This is new. This is not what we’re used to.”
She asked that if there are protests, they remain peaceful.
“We can’t truly celebrate, but we could be thankful right now that there are charges. The play is not over,” she said. “They have brought police officers, white people, forward in courts to watch them get off. Even after all the evidence proves that they’re guilty, they have still gotten off. So we’re still holding our breath.”
Morgan said she cannot imagine the grief the Ellis family has endured and will continue to face during the trial.
“They will have to go through the whole court case. They will have to hear the grim details. They will have to watch that video over and over again,” she said. “He should be alive today to be able to show up in court to defend his name, to defend his honor.”
Sen. T’wina Nobles, who represents the 28th Legislative District, including parts of Tacoma, said Thursday’s decision was a step toward justice and signals that the state is serious in holding law enforcement accountable. She added that there’s still more work to be done.
“(The decision) does not wipe away the many years of traumatic experiences the Black and brown community has had to endure,” she said.
“We want to see less of these circumstances from the beginning,” she told The News Tribune via phone. “We want to make sure our law enforcement agencies see us as human beings.”
Nobles said she gives credit to Ellis’ sister, Monet, for not giving up on her brother.
“Justice, in my opinion, can only be defined by the Ellis family,” she said.
Nobles asks the community to continue to demand justice and “wrap its arms around the Ellis family.”
“This is not the end,” she said. “This is not where we give up.”
U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) echoed that the decision was a steptoward accountability.
“Manny Ellis’ life mattered. Today’s decision by the Attorney General’s office is a step toward ensuring there is accountability for what happened that tragic evening more than fourteen months ago in Tacoma. For too long, far too many of our fellow Americans have dealt with injustice and bigotry and violence. That’s why at all levels of government – federal, state, and local – we’ve got to address inequity where it exists, create accountability where it doesn’t, and make necessary reforms to ensure liberty and justice for all. I’ll keep working toward that end, including working to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act into law. My thoughts are with the loved ones of the Ellis family.”
Congressman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), who is also the former mayor of Tacoma, released a statement Thursday evening about the decision, saying:
“This is a step toward accountability. The Ellis family has been through so much and my prayers are with them. Thank you to the Washington State Patrol, expert analysts, and the Attorney General’s Office for their thorough investigation. We must reimagine policing, work to rebuild trust between officers and the communities they serve, and improve public safety for all communities — especially people of color.”
How we got here
Ellis, 33, died March 3 of last year while being restrained by Tacoma police at the intersection of 96th Street South and Ainsworth Avenue. At one point, Ellis says, “Can’t breathe,” according to police radio traffic.
In May 2020, medical examiners ruled his death a homicide and said the physical restraint used caused his death, although methamphetamine intoxication and heart disease contributed.
The Tacoma officers were Christopher Burbank, 34; Matthew Collins, 37; Masyih Ford, 28; Timothy Rankine, 31. Although the officers had returned to duty after Ellis’ death, they were again placed on paid administrative leave after the autopsy findings became public. A fifth Tacoma officer, Armando Farinas, 26, was found in December to have also been involved, as well as a Pierce County sheriff’s employee, Lt. Gary Sanders, who held Ellis’ leg as he was hobbled.
In June 2020, following the release of the medical examiners’ report, Woodards directed Pauli to fire four police officers involved in the fatal encounter with Ellis, but Pauli stopped short of doing so, awaiting results of an investigation.
After demands from Ellis’ family for an independent review, City Council sent a letter to Inslee on June 5, asking for an independent review of the case, which was being handled by the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department. Woodards also said at the time she wants to work with Inslee to create the same process for all police-involved deaths.
Inslee announced the state would conduct an independent investigation into Ellis’ death in June. An 11-member team was assembled to review the Ellis case. The Washington State Patrol handed over the case to the Attorney General’s Office for review in November.
Meanwhile, Tacoma officials launched a citywide “anti-racist systems transformation” and began with public safety and the Tacoma Police Department. Within the past year, the city implemented officer body cameras, banned the use of chokeholds and paying to study the department’s policies, including use of force.
Earlier this month, Gov. Inslee made a trip to Tacoma to sign a dozen police accountability bills in the presence of legislators and some family members, including Mayor Woodards. Woodards spoke of Ellis, stating that he and others killed by police were the reason they were there. Family members of Ellis were not present at the signing.
This story was originally published May 27, 2021 at 1:24 PM.
