Thurston Co. reacts to hiring of ex-officer cleared in Manny Ellis' death
THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. - Tensions remain high in Thurston County following the recent hiring and swift resignation of former Tacoma Police officer Christopher Burbank, who has been acquitted in the death of Manuel "Manny" Ellis. In a public forum, hosted by Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders, residents expressed a loss of confidence in local law enforcement and frustration over the lack of transparency in the hiring process.
Sheriff Derek Sanders faced public outcry after Burbank's appointment and subsequent resignation just 48 hours later. The community's raw emotions surfaced during a public forum where concerns about Burbank's hiring were raised.
Residents questioned Sanders's decision and his process to hire Burbank, one of three former Tacoma officers charged in Ellis's death in 2020. Despite being cleared of any wrongdoing in December, Burbank's appointment sparked outrage within the community.
"Your decision to hire Christopher Burbank without any prior thought is a disgusting thing," Aussie, a Thurston County resident, told Sanders.
Sanders defended his decision saying Burbank went through the process as anyone else would. Sanders acknowledged the impact it had on public trust as a woman spoke out saying "Acquittal and guilt are not mutually exclusive. One can be acquitted, and still be guilty."
Others made it clear this decision has changed their point of view and believe this is a breach of trust on his behalf. A young woman telling Sanders "we will never vote for you again."
Sanders took the time to respond saying, "It doesn't hurt my feelings that people may not want to vote for me. I recognize, however, that I do need to slow down and take into a greater account all of the impacts for our decisions."
He expressed willingness to learn from the incident and promised to consider the community's concerns in future hiring decisions.
But the question remains how was Burbank allowed to apply?
Sanders explained Burbank was acquitted, there was an investigation by Tacoma Police and he says his own department also conducted an investigation, there was nothing alarming in his file. He says background checks are done, physical and psychological evaluations also have to be made, Burbank was cleared and allowed to move forward in the hiring process, which could take anywhere between a month and a half to three months.
"I can say with a great degree of confidence that right now, the state of Washington will not decertify that person as a police officer," Sanders said in regards to Burbank.
While some residents applauded Sanders for his accountability, others, including Manny Ellis's sister Monét Carter-Mixon, criticized the hire as unacceptable. Carter-Mixon, who moved to Thurston County for safety reasons following her brother's death, expressed her dismay over Burbank's appointment, emphasizing the importance of community safety.
"I didn't ask for this, I didn't tell those officers to kill my brother; I didn't tell them to stand around a circle and watch him suffocate on his own blood," Carter-Mixon said.
She however, does not understand how or why Burbank went job hunting in the county next door, where she now lives. While Sanders says he did not know prior to hiring Burbank; she claims Burbank knew as it was brought up in the months-long trial.
"If Burbank's remembered my husband and decided that he was going to just say "I could get away with this here. They hired me. No one did anything about it," Carter-Mixon said. "I don't want someone like that patrolling my neighborhood that I do pay taxes in."
Burbank's resignation was official on April 3 yet many feel it underscores the gravity of the situation. Sanders vowed to approach future decisions with greater caution and being transparent with the community.
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