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Jury selection recently began in the trial of three Tacoma officers charged in the March 2020 death of Manuel “Manny” Ellis.
Key details: Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins, and Asian American police officer Timothy Rankin were charged with the murder of Ellis, a 33-year-old black man who died due to an accident. Lack of oxygen “Due to physical restraint” two months before his widely reported murder George Floyd.
Burbank and Collins are charged with second-degree murder, while Rankin faces charges of first-degree manslaughter. In 2021, all three He begged Not guilty.
The officers’ trial is expected to continue four days a week until December. Jury selection, which has begun on mondayIt is expected to take two weeks before opening statements begin in Pierce County Superior Court in Tacoma, Washington, on October 2.
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What happened: The incident occurred in Pierce County, Washington, on March 3, 2020, when Ellis exited a convenience store and encountered Burbank and Collins sitting in a patrol car.
According to the Statement of probable cause Submitted by the Washington Attorney General’s Office, officers tackled and punched Ellis. They also used a stun gun on him, placed him face down on the sidewalk, and put a hood over his head.
sAll officers reportedly responded to the scene, including Rankin and his partner, Massiah Ford. Rankin and other officers were accused of sitting on EllisBut it is said that Rankin was the only officer who… I confess To hear the man’s last words: “I can’t breathe.”
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Rankin also reportedly ignored orders from responding paramedics to get off Ellis, charging documents revealed.
how did he die: Experts who were initially appointed by officers claimed Methamphetamine and heart problems were the cause of Ellis’ death, but the Pierce County Medical Examiner ruled the man’s death a homicide and resulted from “hypoxia,” or lack of oxygen “due to physical restraint.”
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Other officers: In addition to Ford, Armando Fariñas and Gary Sanders, a detective sergeant with the Pierce County Police Department, were not fired from their jobs and were hired. No fees charged With the death of the man. The three of them were all involved in restraining Ellis.
other details: Burbank, Collins and Rankin have reportedly been released on bail and continue to work for the Tacoma Police Department on paid leave. They have reportedly received salaries exceeding $1 million since Ellis’ death.
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