Another Black man died in police custody while saying he can't breathe.

On Wednesday, the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office in Tacoma, Washington, concluded that 33-year-old Manuel Ellis was killed in police custody as a result of oxygen deprivation while he was physically restrained during an encounter on March 3.

According to The New York Times, Ellis, a father of two, pleaded with officers to relax their restraints, telling them, “I can’t breathe." When medical support arrived, police reports say officers removed handcuffs from Ellis and he received medical attention for "about 40 minutes,” before dying from his sustained injuries.

The medical examiner's office notes Ellis died from respiratory arrest, hypoxia and physical restraint. In its report, it listed methamphetamine intoxication and heart disease as contributing factors in his death, per The Times.

Tacoma, WA
Another Man Who Said ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Died in Custody

Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office concluded the death of 33 year old #ManuelEllis was a homicide. He died from respiratory arrest, hypoxia and physical restraint. #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/nEDB5llYWe
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— ????????Cleavon Gilman, MD (@Cleavon_MD) June 4, 2020

The sheriff’s spokesperson, Detective Ed Troyer, said police encountered Ellis, a Tacoma native, on the night of March 3 at an intersection. Officers said they saw him banging on another vehicle’s window and he then approached them aggressively. After Ellis allegedly threw an officer to the ground, two backup officers joined the pair already trying to detain him, The Times reports.

Troyer said the officers weren’t wearing body cameras but that he believes they did not use a knee or chokehold on the 33-year-old.

“The main reason why he was restrained was so he wouldn’t hurt himself or them,” he said. “As soon as he said he couldn’t breathe, they requested medical aid.”

A police scanner audio recording of the incident, first reported by The News Tribune, captured the final moments of Ellis' struggle. About four minutes into the recording, Ellis’ muffled voice is heard saying, “I can’t breathe.”

Monet Carter-Mixon, Ellis’ sister, called for action and accountability in her brother’s death. She has asked for an investigation into the details that led up to him being killed. Police say they are compliant and will present their findings soon.

“The information is all being put together,” Troyer said. “We expect to present it to the prosecutor at the end of this week or early next week.”

Relatives said Ellis was the father to an 11-year-old boy and an 18-month-old girl. He was celebrated as a drummer at his church. Carter-Mixon recalled him being a positive image and role model in his community, per The Times.

“My heart literally hurts,” she said. “It’s painful. My brother was my best friend.”

A vigil was held in Ellis’ honor in Tacoma Wednesday night, while protests raged elsewhere around the country for George Floyd, who was killed by police and spoke similar words as he tried to take his last breath. Neighbors and friends uplifted Ellis as always “taking care of people.”

Here’s a look at the crowd gathered at 96th & Ainsworth in south Tacoma for a vigil service for Manuel Ellis. @KING5Seattle
pic.twitter.com/ZFPagTVF0N

— Jordan Treece (@JTreece406) June 4, 2020

Mayor Victoria Woodards and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee both indicated they would prioritize getting to the bottom of the Ellis' death, The Times reports. Inslee said he's working to ensure there is a "full and complete investigation of that incident."

Manuel-Ellis

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