TACOMA, Wash. — Two former Tacoma Police Department officers who were acquitted on all charges for the death of Manuel Ellis are asking Washington state to cover their defense costs.
Attorneys for former officer Matthew Collins filed the motion on Feb. 9, asking Pierce County Superior Court to order the state to reimburse Collins for “all reasonable cost, including loss of time, legal fees incurred and other expenses involved in the defense.” Former officer Christopher Burbank joined the motion.
The motion cites a new Washington state law that says when a law enforcement officer is found not guilty, or when charges are dismissed by reason of justifiable homicide, use of deadly force or self-defense, then the state “shall reimburse the defendant for all reasonable costs.”
Burbank and Collins were charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter and former Tacoma officer Timothy Rankine was charged with first-degree manslaughter. All three former officers were acquitted by a jury on Dec. 21, 2023.
After the city 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.
The total legal fees between Collins and Burbank could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars given the three-month trial and necessary preparation time.
Former Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist, who worked as a legal analyst for KING 5 during the trial, said this motion would be the first test of the new law.
He called it a “Hail Mary” because even though the officers were acquitted, the charges were not dismissed. This is something a Pierce County judge will take into account when ruling on whether the state should pay the legal fees, he added.
A hearing is scheduled for Friday, March 8.
Manuel Ellis died in police custody on March 3, 2020, following a confrontation with the officers. Ellis was Tasered, handcuffed and hogtied while officer Rankine 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.