For the first time, the Washington Attorney General's Office has criminally charged police officers for the unlawful use of deadly force.
Tacoma Police Officers Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins are charged with second-degree murder and Timothy Rankine with first-degree manslaughter. All three pleaded not guilty and they are being tried together. The officers have declined interview requests. Defense attorneys maintain that the officers were doing their
jobs and Ellis died from a methamphetamine overdose.
All three officers have been on paid leave since 2020, and will remain on paid leave at least through the duration of the trial. Here's what we know about their professional histories from public records and court documents that KNKX and The Seattle Times reviewed for The Walk Home. Misconduct allegations and defendants' prior "bad acts" not directly related to a criminal case are generally not admissible at trial.
Christopher "Shane" Burbank, 38
Burbank has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. For someone with no prior criminal history, the standard sentences are about 10 to 18 years and about 6 to 8 years in prison, respectively.
Burbank, who is white, has been with the Tacoma Police Department since 2015. He served in the U.S. Army for eight years and earned an Army Commendation Medal. He worked as a police officer in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, before coming to Tacoma. He is the only defendant with experience as a police officer before coming to Tacoma.
Burbank was the subject of 16 internal investigations in North Carolina, including 10 involving injuries to civilians and three driving-related incidents. The other complaints included racial profiling, wrongful arrest and conducting an incomplete investigation.
In all 16 instances, he was cleared of wrongdoing, except for one of the car crashes where he was deemed to be at fault. Records from the Tacoma Police Department don’t show any complaints about his use of force.
Burbank was one of two officers who first encountered Manny Ellis. Burbank told investigators that prior to the physical altercation, Ellis threatened to punch him in the face. Burbank said he used the door of the police vehicle to hit Ellis because he believed Ellis was about to attack his partner, Officer Matthew Collins. According to charging papers, Burbank lifted Ellis up and slammed him into the pavement. He also fired taser probes into Ellis' chest.
Matthew Collins, 40
Matthew Collins has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. For someone with no prior criminal history, the standard sentences are about 10 to 18 years and about 6 to 8 years in prison, respectively.
Collins, who is white, has been with the Tacoma Police Department since 2015. He served in the U.S. Army for seven years and was an Army Ranger. Charging documents say he was also trained in grappling martial arts and taught classes on defensive tactics. Tacoma Police Department records show he has no prior disciplinary history.
Collins and his partner Burbank were the first to encounter Ellis. He told investigators he called out to Ellis on patrol after he saw him grab at the door handle of a car in the intersection. During the struggle, Collins told investigators Ellis picked him up and threw him on his back. He claimed Ellis had “superhuman strength.” A video taken by a pizza delivery driver shows Collins put Ellis in a chokehold.
Timothy Rankine, 34
Timothy Rankine has pleaded not guilty to first-degree manslaughter, which carries a standard sentence of 6 to 8 years in prison for someone with no prior criminal history.
Rankine, who is Asian-American, has been with the Tacoma Police Department since 2018. Rankine served in the U.S. Army as an infantryman where he earned a Purple Heart. Charging documents say he took a combat lifesaving course while in the army. Tacoma Police Department records show he has no prior disciplinary history. The Seattle Times reports two civil lawsuits against the city of Tacoma alleging excessive force stemming from Rankine's actions on duty.
Rankine arrived at the scene as backup after hearing Burbank call out his location on the radio. He told investigators he “was thinking the worst, that Officer Burbank and Officer Collins were most likely dead or shot.” Rankine put his body weight on Ellis' back while he was on the ground to help restrain him. He was the only officer to tell investigators that he heard Ellis say he couldn’t breathe. He said he told Ellis, “If you’re talking to me, you can breathe just fine.”
Listen to an episode of The Walk Home about the officer’s histories.
Listen to an episode of The Walk Home about what the officers initially told investigators.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the name of the medal earned by Burbank.
Seattle Times reporter Patrick Malone contributed to this story.
