Tacoma, Washington – A former police officer involved in the fatal arrest of Manuel Ellis in 2020 has resigned from his new position as a sheriff’s deputy in a neighboring county after just two days. Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders announced on Wednesday that Deputy Christopher Burbank stepped down following strong community objections, including death threats to Burbank’s family.
Burbank, along with two other officers, Timothy Rankine and Matthew Collins, was acquitted of criminal charges by a Pierce County jury last December in the death of Ellis, an unarmed Black man who died after being shocked, beaten, and hog-tied facedown on a sidewalk. The Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled Ellis’s death a homicide caused by a lack of oxygen during the physical restraint.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle is currently investigating possible federal civil rights violations in Ellis’s death. A wrongful death lawsuit against Tacoma is also pending.
Sanders admitted fault in hiring Burbank, acknowledging that he failed to consider the community impact and misjudged public perception. Critics, including attorney Matthew Ericksen representing Ellis’s family, expressed relief at Burbank’s resignation, highlighting the outpour of criticism and legislative changes following Ellis’s death.
Like many law enforcement agencies, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has faced challenges with understaffing. The sheriff defended Burbank’s hire by emphasizing the thorough background check process and the department’s efforts to improve crisis response and transparency with the use of cameras.
Despite the hiring controversy, Sanders apologized for the misjudgment, recognizing the loss of trust from the community. The fatal encounter with Ellis, captured by witnesses and surveillance footage, drew comparisons to the later murder of George Floyd and sparked a nationwide outcry against police brutality.
The Tacoma Police Department, where the officers previously worked, found no violation of its use-of-force policy at the time, leading to the officers’ resignations with compensation. Pierce County settled part of a federal wrongful death lawsuit with Ellis’s family for $4 million.
Ellis’s case was the first trial under a state law aimed at making it easier to prosecute police officers accused of wrongful use of deadly force. Throughout the legal proceedings and aftermath, Ellis’s family and supporters have continued to seek justice and accountability for his death.