Officer acquitted in death of Manuel Ellis hired by neighboring sheriff’s office

Ellis, a Black man, was shocked, beaten and restrained face down as he pleaded for breath in Tacoma, Washington, in 2020

A former Tacoma, Washington, officer acquitted of murder in the 2020 homicide of Manuel Ellis - a Black man who was shocked, beaten and restrained face down on a sidewalk as he pleaded for breath - has been hired by a neighboring sheriff's office.

The Thurston county sheriff's office, based in Olympia, Washington, announced on its Facebook page on Monday that it had hired the former Tacoma officer Christopher Burbank as a patrol deputy, despite an ongoing federal investigation into the 2020 death.