Three Washington state police officers have been acquitted of all charges in connection with the 2020 killing of Manuel Ellis, a Black man whose death has drawn comparisons to that of George Floyd.
A jury found the three officers – Matthew Collins, Christopher Burbank, and Timothy Rankine – not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Ellis on a Tacoma sidewalk in 2020. The defense argued that Ellis’ death was caused by methamphetamine in his system and a preexisting heart condition, not the actions of the officers.
The Associated Press reported that there was a gasp from the gallery when the first not-guilty verdict was read. Matthew Ericksen, a lawyer representing the Ellis family, expressed devastation at the verdict, stating that the defense was allowed to put Manny Ellis on trial, unfairly prejudicing the jurors against him.
The incident took place when Ellis was walking home with doughnuts from a 7-Eleven in Tacoma, about 30 miles south of Seattle, late on March 3, 2020. The officers claimed they saw Ellis try to open the door of a passing car at an intersection and became aggressive when they tried to question him about it. Collins testified that Ellis demonstrated “superhuman strength” by lifting him off the ground and throwing him through the air.
Officer Rankine called Ellis’ death a tragedy and stated, “If you can talk to me, you can still breathe.” There was no immediate response from the defendants’ lawyers.
The Seattle Times quoted Collins’ attorney, Casey Arbenz, as saying the verdict was “a huge sigh of relief” and reflected that the jurors were willing to look beyond the video. Arbenz stated that the officers should never have been charged.
The controversial verdict has sparked outrage from the local community and the family of Manuel Ellis. It has once again reignited the debate over police conduct and accountability, particularly in cases involving the deaths of Black individuals. The parallels drawn between Ellis’ death and that of George Floyd have only served to intensify the public scrutiny and outcry over the outcome of the trial.
The Ellis family and their legal representation continue to express disappointment and frustration with the verdict, which they believe failed to deliver justice for Manuel Ellis and his loved ones.
As the nation continues to grapple with issues of racial injustice and policing, the acquittal of the officers in the killing of Manuel Ellis serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges and complexities surrounding accountability in such cases. The fallout from the verdict is likely to reverberate through the community and fuel further debate and activism around police reform and the pursuit of justice for victims of police violence.
