Acquittal is on the way

Posted on: May 27, 2021 at 14:48:22 CT

The county medical examiner, Dr. Thomas Clark, listed the cause of death as “hypoxia due to physical restraint,” according to a copy of the report provided by the family’s lawyer on Friday night. It concluded that his death was a homicide but also said it was unlikely that his death would have occurred because of physicial restraint alone, saying methamphetamine intoxication and heart disease were factors.

Dr. Clark’s report said Mr. Ellis had enough methamphetamine in his system to be fatal, but he said paramedics initially found him to have a normal heartbeat. At the same time, he was close to respiratory arrest. Dr. Clark said it was possible that the most important factor in his death was oxygen deprivation “as a result of physical restraint, positioning, and the placement of a mask over the mouth.”

The report said officers had placed a “spit hood,” a device used to keep someone from spitting or biting, over Mr. Ellis’s mouth.