Acquitted Tacoma Officers to Receive $500K Each to Resign

The officers, cleared in the death of Manuel Ellis, will leave their jobs following a settlement with the city of Tacoma, amidst ongoing review by the U.S. attorney's office.

Three Tacoma police officers, Timothy Rankine, Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank, who were acquitted in the death of Manuel Ellis, will each receive $500,000 to leave their jobs. The officers have been on paid leave since 2020, when they were accused of using excessive force against Ellis.
The officers were cleared of violating rules and of using excessive force based on the Tacoma Police Department’s use-of-force policy in effect at the time of Ellis' death. However, Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore criticized the department’s 2020 use-of-force policies that applied to his review, stating that the policy has since been updated.
Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died in police custody in 2020 after pleading that he couldn't breathe during his arrest. The officers claimed Ellis was violent and had tried to get into a nearby car, compelling them to use force.
The Ellis family has previously settled a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Pierce County, which is home to Tacoma, for $4 million. A wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Tacoma and the officers is still pending.
The U.S. attorney's office in Seattle is currently reviewing the case, potentially paving the way for future federal charges against the police for violating Ellis' civil rights.