Police initially said Ellis had begun a confrontation by striking a police car, attacking four officers and throwing one officer to the ground. According to police, they had seen Ellis trying to open the doors of cars with people inside them. A witness, who observed the encounter from a car behind Ellis and the officers, said that Ellis approached their police car and appeared to be engaged in what she thought was a friendly conversation with them. Then, the witness said, the officers threw open their door, knocking Ellis to the ground. The witness began taking video footage, which shows officers punching Ellis while he is on the ground. In one video the witness can be heard calling “Stop. Oh my God, stop hitting him. Just arrest him.” According to a lawyer representing the Ellis family, Ellis was also tased, contradicting earlier police statements that they did not, and police officers placed themselves on top of Ellis. A detective for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said that Ellis called out “I can’t breathe,” and that officers requested the help of paramedics and placed Ellis on his side. Police dispatch audio records Ellis shouting “I can’t breathe”, and police requesting medical help minutes later.The Pierce County medical examiner ruled that Ellis’ death was a homicide, resulting from asphyxia due to physical restraint.
Source: Wikipedia
Funeral for Justice 