TACOMA, Wash. — The defense attorney for a Tacoma Police Department officer charged in the death of Manuel Ellis said the case is the result of a "social issue."
On Thursday, the Washington State Attorney General's (AG) Office charged three Tacoma police officers, Christopher Burbank, Matthew Collins and Timothy Rankine following a nearly year-long investigation.
Ellis, a 33-year-old Black man, died in handcuffs while being restrained by Tacoma police on March 3, 2020.
The three officers charged in the case plead not guilty in court Friday.
By the afternoon each posted their $100,000 bails, and were released from custody after spending one night in the Pierce County Jail.
State prosecutors had requested the judge hold them on $1 million bail, citing the seriousness of the charges and the potential flight risk.
“That’s just ridiculous,” said Bryan Harshman, attorney for Timothy Rankine.
Rankine was charged with one count of manslaughter related to Ellis's death. The AG's Office charged the other officers, Burbank and Collins, with manslaughter and second-degree murder.
Attorneys for all three defendants argued that $1 million amount was too high, noting the officers had no prior criminal records and were veterans of the military with ties to the community.
Harshman said he thinks the investigation was politically motivated.
“If he [Rankine] wasn’t a police officer, and there weren’t TV cameras, and if this wasn’t a social issue, that wouldn’t have happened,” said Harshman.
Harshman said he plans on trying to get his client’s case moved to a different county to ensure a fair trial.