THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — More than 100 people attended a public forum in Thurston County following the sheriff’s controversial hiring of former Tacoma police officer Christopher Burbank, one of three officers acquitted for the death of Manuel Ellis.
Burbank was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter after Ellis died while in police custody in March 2020. He was found not guilty in December 2023.
Sheriff Derek Sanders said he first saw Burbank's name on his desk about two months ago.
"I got caught up in getting things done and checking boxes and trying to get problems solved that I’m experiencing and the community is experiencing and not taking that second to slow down," Sanders said on Thursday.
Burbank resigned from the sheriff's office two days after he was sworn-in as a deputy in early April.
Approximately 30 people spoke to county officials at the forum. The community reaction to Burbank's hiring was swift and fierce, as people said they were dumbfounded, hurt and frustrated to learn he was hired in the first place.
Some called for Sheriff Sanders to resign and others applauded him for being transparent.
“This was something that stirred up a lot of issues for a lot of people on two very sharp political divides," Sanders said.
The very last person to speak during public comment was Manuel Ellis' sister, Monet Carter-Mixon, who said she moved to Thurston County from Tacoma following the death of her brother.
"Just because a person is found not guilty does not mean they are not innocent," Carter-Mixon said on Thursday. "That is something I know all too well."
Carter-Mixon shared her experience after finding out Burbank was hired as a deputy in Thurston County.
"It's hurtful. it's harmful to people who look like me," she said. "It's scary, maybe not for y'all, but for me, it is. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t tell those officers to kill my brother."
The sheriff's office announced Burbank's hiring via Facebook on April 1. At the time, the office said the hire marks the first lateral patrol deputy since 2021 to apply and pass all phases of background checks. It was also the "first time in years" the sheriff's office was expected to be fully staffed with no vacancies on patrol.
"When I made the decision to hire Deputy Burbank, I failed to consider the greater community impact and instead made the decision based on business needs to remedy [Thurston County Sheriff's Office's] staffing crisis," Sanders' letter reads. "Furthermore, I entirely misjudged community perception on the investigation and jury process that Deputy Burbank completed. I recognize the harm this has caused to marginalized communities, and I was wrong."
In a statement from their attorney, Matthew Ericksen, Ellis' family said they were "shocked and saddened" by the news of Burbank's hiring in Thurston County, pointing out there is still a pending wrongful death lawsuit against Burbank, as well as a review from the U.S. Attorney's Office.