Christopher Burbank, a former Tacoma police officer, was acquitted in December 2023 of charges related to the death of Manuel Ellis in March 2020. Despite the acquittal, his hiring by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office in April 2024 led to significant community backlash and death threats. Consequently, Burbank resigned two days after being sworn in. The Ellis family has a pending wrongful death lawsuit against him, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into Ellis’s death.
[Return to blog post](https://watchaudits.com/christopher-burbank-thurston-county-sheriffs-office/)
.
