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Law and JusticeUnited States of America

US: Three police officers acquitted in killing of Black man

December 22, 2023

Three Washington state officers were acquitted in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, which happened in the months before the murder of George Floyd. Footage subsequently emerged of Ellis's death, sparking major protests.

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A sign is displayed at a memorial in Tacoma, Washington, where Manuel "Manny" Ellis died March 3, 2020, after he was restrained by police officers
The case of Manuel Ellis, who was shocked, beaten and held face down on a sidewalk as he struggled to breathe, paralleled the murder of George Floyd Image: Ted S. Warren/AP Photo/picture alliance

A jury in the United States on Thursday acquitted three Washington state police officers of all charges in the 2020 death of an unarmed Black man in Tacoma.

The case of Manuel Ellis, who was shocked, beaten, and held face down on a sidewalk as he struggled to breathe, paralleled the murder of George Floyd that same year.

Two of the officers, Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank, were charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, while Timothy Rankine was charged with manslaughter.

The jury found the three not guilty on all counts after a trial that lasted more than two months. The case is the first to charge police with a suspect's death since Washington voters in 2018 approved a ballot measure that made it easier to hold officers criminally responsible in such instances.

What happened to Manuel Ellis?

Witnesses and a doorbell surveillance camera captured video of parts of the encounter on the night of March 3, 2020.

The officers punched 33-year-old Manuel Ellis, put him in a chokehold, and shot him with a stun gun, according to witness testimony and video evidence presented at trial.

Video footage showed Collins restraining Ellis by the neck as Burbank fired a Taser into his chest as he lay on the ground.

Ellis could be heard repeatedly saying, "Can't breathe, sir," during the encounter and was declared dead at the scene.

Parallels with Floyd's case

The officers later told investigators that Ellis attacked them and was violent. Witnesses said they saw nothing of the sort.

Lawyers for the officers also argued that Ellis, who had methamphetamine in his system, died due to his drug use and a heart condition, even though the Pierce County medical examiner ruled Ellis' death a homicide caused by oxygen deprivation.

Ellis's killing came weeks before the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police sparked months of protests around the world over racial injustice and police brutality.

Bystander video of Ellis's death was released in June 2020, a week after Floyd's killing, leading to protests in Tacoma.

In 2021, Derek Chauvin, a former police officer, was sentenced to over 22 years in prison for the murder of George Floyd.

dh/rc (AP, Reuters)