DEMONSTRANTS: Manuel Ellis has become a symbol of the “Black Lives Matter” movement. Foto: Ted S. Warren / AP
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African-American Manuel Ellis, 33, died during an arrest in Washington state in March last year. When are three policemen charged with murder.
Just updated
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Christopher Burbank and Matthew Collins are charged with murder and Timothy Rankine is charged with negligent homicide, reports a number of American media.
Witnesses have said that Burbank and Collins attacked Ellis apparently unprovoked, writes the news agency AP with reference to court documents.
Rankine is accused of putting pressure on the back of Ellis, who according to the police shouted “I can’t breathe”.
The 33-year-old died on March 3 last year while on his way home with donuts he had bought. He was shot with an electroshock weapon, tied up and handcuffed and put on a mask.
The cause of death was a lack of oxygen, according to the autopsy report. Methamphetamine intoxication and an enlarged heart were also listed as contributing factors to the death.
The case has clear similarities with the case of George Floyd, who has triggered huge demonstrations and clashes in a number of American cities. In April, police officer Derek Chauvin was arrested pleaded guilty to the murder of Floyd.
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