TCSO Hires Christopher Burbank - The Police Officer Charged in the Murder of Manny Ellis

THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — Christopher Burbank, one of the former Tacoma police officers who was charged in the murder of Manuel Ellis, has been hired by the Thurston County Sheriff's Office (TCSO).

Burbank was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter after Ellis died while in police custody.

The state alleged Burbank and Officer Matthew Collins initiated a confrontation with Ellis on the night he died, assaulted and wrongfully imprisoned him, leading to his death. Eyewitness video shows the officers punching Ellis while he lay on the ground and putting his hands up in the air in a surrender position while an officer fired a Taser at him. Ellis was handcuffed and hogtied while officers applied pressure to his back, pressing him into the ground. The Pierce County medical examiner determined those restraint methods caused Ellis to suffer from a lack of oxygen, resulting in heart failure.

Burbank (and the two other officers charged in the death of Manny Ellis) was found not guilty of all charges at the conclusion of the trial in December 2023. After the city of Tacoma cleared the officers of any wrongdoing following an internal investigation, each officer received $500,000 and resigned from the department "in good standing." All of the men also remained on paid administrative leave for three years following Ellis' death.