• Manuel Ellis, an African American, died three months ago
• Governor says investigation will be ‘free of conflicts of interest’

Governor Jay Inslee of Washington has ordered a new investigation into the death of Manuel Ellis, an African American man who died more than three months ago in police custody, following questions over the independence of the investigation.

The move comes one day after a lawyer for the Ellis family released footage from the night of his death, which shows him screaming, “I can’t breathe sir. I can’t breathe,” followed by what sounds like an officer saying, “Shut the fuck up.”

Witness: Manuel Ellis was having ‘friendly’ talk with officers before he was beaten

Inslee said in a statement on Wednesday that his decision came after the county prosecutor informed the state that the Pierce county sheriff’s department, which was leading the investigation, had officers at the scene of Ellis’s arrest on 3 March.

“The state will ensure an independent investigation and independent prosecutorial review into the death of Manuel Ellis,” said Inslee, adding that his office was working to determine which agency would conduct it. “We will ensure that the work is done free of conflicts of interest.”

Ellis’s death, which has been ruled a homicide, has become part of the protests over police brutality and racism that have spread across the country following the death of George Floyd, a black man killed when a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck.

James Bible, the lawyer for Ellis’s family, has repeatedly called on the sheriff’s office to stop its investigation, and for the state to take over the case. He has argued that the sheriff’s office has too much bias to conduct the investigation.

Bible said he received five short Ring videos from the night of Ellis’s death after the owner said they sent them to the Pierce county sheriff’s office months ago.

The videos appear to discredit the police’s account that Ellis, a musician and father of two, was banging on car windows and trying to open a car door before being arrested, as the footage taken before his death does not show this.

Sara McDowell, who witnessed Ellis’s arrest, has also disputed the police’s account, saying she saw what appeared to be a “friendly” conversation between him and the officers before one of them knocked him to the ground with their car door. A cellphone video she shot of the scene appears to show at least one officer beating him, while he is lying on the ground.

Police have said that after Ellis approached their car, asking for help and saying there were warrants out for his arrest, an officer got out of the vehicle. They said Ellis then grabbed the officer’s vest and threw him to the ground.

The county medical examiner’s office has reported that he died due to hypoxia and physical restraint. Other factors that may have contributed to his death included methamphetamine intoxication and heart disease.

Victoria Woodards, the mayor of Tacoma, Washington, said in a statement on Wednesday that she agreed with the governor’s decision. 

“A full and independent investigation into this homicide still remains our paramount goal, and I am deeply troubled that the Ellis family will now endure additional delays while we all await a thorough accounting of the facts,” she said.

The Pierce county prosecuting attorney Mary Robnett is urging the attorney general to “now accept concurrent jurisdiction in this case”.

“We want this matter handled in the right way, so that the public has confidence in the investigation and the decision,” she said.

Sister of Manuel Ellis who was beaten and restrained by cops before he died yelling ‘I can’t breathe’ says she wants officers to get the death penalty – as family accuses police of a cover up

• Manuel Ellis’ sister Monet Mixon wants the death penalty for the cops involved in her brother’s death in March, she told CNN on Tuesday
• Ellis was heard in an audio recording of police radio yelling ‘I can’t breathe’ as the Tacoma Police officers restrained and handcuffed him 
• Police in Washington state were not wearing bodycams but claimed Ellis had body-slammed a cop and was being combative
• But witness video that emerged last week showed police being aggressive
• The scared witness filming yells at Tacoma cops to just arrest him 
• Ellis’ mother Marcia Carter said they knew he hadn’t attacked police and she thinks her son was ‘just picked out personally’
• The family lawyer claimed more discrepancies in the story are set come out soon
• None of the officers have been charged pending investigation by another police department that the family lawyer complains is too linked to the cops involved 

The sister of a black man killed in police custody after he was heard telling them ‘I can’t breathe’, wants the police officers involved to get the death penalty. 

Cops in Washington state claimed that Manuel ‘Manny’ Ellis – a father-of-two – was harassing a woman in her car in March and when they confronted him he slammed an officer to the ground.