Pierce County Agrees To $4M Settlement For Death Of Manuel Ellis

TACOMA, WA — The Pierce County Council has agreed to pay slightly over $4 million to settle a lawsuit over the police killing of Manuel Ellis.

The suit, brought by Ellis' family, alleged that the City of Tacoma and Pierce County were culpable in Ellis' death on March 3, 2020. Ellis, 33, a Black Tacoma man, was killed while being restrained by police. Three Tacoma police officers have been charged for their involvement in his death.

According to a statement from the Pierce County Council, their decision to accept the settlement ends the county's involvement in the issue.

"No monetary value will ever compensate for the loss or heartache Mr. Ellis' family and loved ones experienced over the last two years. Nor will it stop the Ellis family or community from grieving his death," the statement reads. "With the adoption of this settlement, Council is ending Pierce County’s involvement with the lawsuit. Council hopes our community will continue to heal, move forward stronger, and remain committed to making Piece County a safe, just place for all."

Ellis’ sister and mother will continue to pursue their lawsuit against Tacoma and several of the officers involved in his death, the Associated Press reported.

Probable cause documents from the Attorney General's Office give a more comprehensive look into what may have happened the night of Ellis' death. According to the documents, Ellis had been walking to a 7-Eleven near his home for a late-night snack. During his return trip home at around 11:20 p.m., officers Burbank and Collins confronted Ellis at the intersection of 96th Street South and Ainsworth Avenue South.

Witnesses told the office that, following an apparently respectful and calm conversation, Ellis turned to walk away when officer Burbank swung the passenger door of his patrol vehicle open, hitting Ellis in the back and knocking him to his knees, the documents said.

At that point, several witnesses began recording the incident. According to the charging documents, those videos show the two officers tackle and beat Ellis, striking him in the head at least four times. The officers then placed a neck restraint on Ellis, used a stun gun on him and called for backup despite little resistance from Ellis, the documents said.

Recordings reportedly show Ellis repeatedly telling the officers he cannot breathe before he died. The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office would later rule his death a homicide due to hypoxia. As the Attorney General's Office notes, despite Ellis' repeated pleas that he could not breathe, none of the officers ever called for medical assistance until it was too late. Instead, one told him to "shut up" as he choked to death.

The Attorney General has charged officers Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins with second-degree murder. If convicted, both could be sentenced to between 10 and 18 years in prison. The third officer, Timothy Rankine, has been charged with first-degree manslaughter, which typically results in sentences between 6.5 and 8.5 years in prison if the defendant has no prior criminal history.