Jury clears 3 Washington officers in death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who said he couldn’t breathe

By MARTHA BELLISLE and MADDY GRASSY
Associated Press

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A jury has cleared three Washington state police officers of all criminal charges in the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, a Black man who was shocked, beaten and restrained face down on a Tacoma sidewalk as he pleaded for breath. Two of the officers — Matthew Collins, 40, and Christopher Burbank, 38 — had been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter, while Timothy Rankine, 34, was charged with manslaughter. The Pierce County medical examiner ruled Ellis’ death a homicide caused by oxygen deprivation, but lawyers for the officers said a high level of methamphetamine in Ellis’ system and a heart irregularity were to blame. A lawyer for Ellis’ family says the verdict is devastating for the family and community.