The phrase “I can’t breathe” is now synonymous with George Floyd, a black man who was murdered in police custody after a police officer knelt on his neck for nine minutes.
A video of the brutal murder circulated on social media, sending shock waves around the world.
Floyd, 46, muttered “I can’t breathe” several times while the officer Derek Chauvin, and two other officers, knelt on his body.
They continued to kneel on him even after he lost consciousness, and Floyd was later pronounced dead.
Tens of thousands of Americans took to the streets to protest against police brutality, with many calling for large-scale reforms to be made in the country.
“I can’t breathe” has now become a slogan associated with the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement; many protestors are holding up signs and banners displaying the phrase during demonstrations.
Now, yet another black man has reportedly died in police custody after uttering the same, chilling phrase.
Another Black Man Allegedly Died After Saying ‘I Can’t Breathe’ While in Custody
Three months prior to George Floyd’s death, another black man called out “I can’t breathe” before dying in police custody in Tacoma, Washington, reported The New York Times.
According to the medical examiner’s report, 33-year-old Manuel Ellis was killed as a result of oxygen deprivation and the physical restraint that was used on him.
His death has been ruled a homicide.
So, what happened?
Restrained Because He Was “Combative”
On the night of 3 March, police officers came across Ellis banging on the window of another vehicle when they stopped at a traffic junction.
Ellis reportedly approached the officer’s car and threw an officer to the ground when he got out of his vehicle.
The four other officers – two of them white, one black and one Asian – handcuffed him.
The Tacoma Police Department said that Ellis had to be restrained because he “continued to be combative”.
Details of the restraint that the officers used are still unclear, as they were not wearing body cameras.
But a spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said that he did not believe the officers used a chokehold or a knee on Ellis’ neck.
Once Ellis said he couldn’t breathe, the officers rolled him on his side and requested medical aid, said the spokesman.
Medical personnel arrived four minutes later, and Ellis was reportedly still breathing. They worked on him for 40 minutes, but to no avail.
He was later pronounced dead.
The 33-year-old died from respiratory arrest, hypoxia and physical restraint, according to the medical examiner’s office. Methamphetamine intoxication and heart disease were contributing factors, the report said.
Had an 18-Month-Old Daughter
According to The New York Times, Ellis had an 11-year-old son and an 18-month-old daughter.
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His family members said he was a talented musician at church, and that they are devastated by his death.
“While we are in immense pain, we rest our hope in the community of committed freedom fighters that we are now joining,” the family said.
Protests Held In All 50 States
According to ABC News, the protests which were sparked by George Floyd’s death have been held in all 50 states, with demonstrations in at least 430 towns and cities.
The US government and Donald Trump, in particular, have come under fire for their violent treatment of peaceful protestors, with officers using tear gas, flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets to try and disperse crowds.
Rights group the American Civil Liberties Union is even suing the Trump administration for violating the civil rights of protestors.
It’s now day 10 of the George Floyd protests, and there seems to be no end in sight.
2020 started off pretty bad, but it seems to be getting worse with every passing month.
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