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"I can't breathe."
The words are so powerful because we naturally recoil at the idea of ignoring another human being's plea for something as basic as air.
But we found dozens of such deaths in custody.
Unfortunately this will be a long thread. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/28/us/i-cant-breathe-police-arrest.html
The words are so powerful because we naturally recoil at the idea of ignoring another human being's plea for something as basic as air.
But we found dozens of such deaths in custody.
Unfortunately this will be a long thread. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/28/us/i-cant-breathe-police-arrest.html
Most of us now know about 
George Floyd and 
Eric Garner. Their deaths sparked national outrage.
We wanted to find other cases where people in law enforcement custody died after saying, specifically, "I can't breathe" according to official witnesses, audio or video.
George Floyd and Eric Garner. Their deaths sparked national outrage. We wanted to find other cases where people in law enforcement custody died after saying, specifically, "I can't breathe" according to official witnesses, audio or video.
We ( @ByMikeBaker, @mannyNYT, @laforgia_, @FrancesRobles & I) initially thought we'd be looking at about a dozen cases. We were wrong. At last count, we had at least 70 from 2010 until the present, and more than a dozen others from earlier years.
Months after Eric Garner died in 2014, 
Balantine Mbegbu, a 65-year-old Black man, was home eating his dinner in AZ when police officers arrived to check a report of arguing. Officers slammed him to the floor and put their knees on his back and neck. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6215454/58/mbegbu-v-phoenix-city-of/
Balantine Mbegbu, a 65-year-old Black man, was home eating his dinner in AZ when police officers arrived to check a report of arguing. Officers slammed him to the floor and put their knees on his back and neck. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/6215454/58/mbegbu-v-phoenix-city-of/
In a number of cases, police were handling calls for health problems. Last year, 
David Minassian, a 39-year-old white man, had a heroin overdose at home. His sister, a health worker, gave naloxone and called for medical help. Officers arrived instead. https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/7056-minassian-case-minutes/9e41178bcd4f3cd5b5ca/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
David Minassian, a 39-year-old white man, had a heroin overdose at home. His sister, a health worker, gave naloxone and called for medical help. Officers arrived instead. https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/7056-minassian-case-minutes/9e41178bcd4f3cd5b5ca/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
In more than a dozen cases, officers responded with variations of "If you can talk you can breathe." These included 
James Perry ( https://bit.ly/38jb4kI ) and 
Craig McKinnis ( https://bit.ly/3dHEObV ). An Ohio jail medic office had the following sign up for a time in 2018.
James Perry ( https://bit.ly/38jb4kI ) and Craig McKinnis ( https://bit.ly/3dHEObV ). An Ohio jail medic office had the following sign up for a time in 2018.
In that same jail, six years earlier, deputies held 
Robert Richardson ( https://bit.ly/2ZiIM5z ) face down for 22 minutes by his back and neck after a call that he had suffered a possible seizure. This image from the case is of one of them laughing.
Robert Richardson ( https://bit.ly/2ZiIM5z ) face down for 22 minutes by his back and neck after a call that he had suffered a possible seizure. This image from the case is of one of them laughing.
We included jails because those are generally under local control (usually sheriff's departments). We didn't include prisons. The youngest person on our list was 19-year-old Daniel Linsinbigler, 
, who died in a jail under horrific circumstances. http://folioweekly.com/The-Last-Days-of-Daniel-Linsinbigler,10179
, who died in a jail under horrific circumstances. http://folioweekly.com/The-Last-Days-of-Daniel-Linsinbigler,10179
And when I say "horrific circumstances," I mean that officers strapped him into a chair, pepper sprayed him in the face and then, as his airways were swelling and producing fluid from the spray, put a "spit hood" over him until he died. We saw these hoods in a number of deaths.
People whose deaths involved spit hoods included, this year, 
Carlos Ingram Lopez ( https://nyti.ms/2BevmzM ) and 
Manuel Ellis ( https://nyti.ms/2NC8D32 ). There's also Justin Thompson, Mathew Ajibade, Ben Anthony C de Baca, Lashano Gilbert & Jack Marden
Carlos Ingram Lopez ( https://nyti.ms/2BevmzM ) and Manuel Ellis ( https://nyti.ms/2NC8D32 ). There's also Justin Thompson, Mathew Ajibade, Ben Anthony C de Baca, Lashano Gilbert & Jack Marden
One of the more wrenching cases, , in which one of these hoods was used was that of an Army sergeant diagnosed with PTSD who was serving 2 days for DUI. His name was James Brown. This video from the El Paso News is disturbing; I'm sorry.
, in which one of these hoods was used was that of an Army sergeant diagnosed with PTSD who was serving 2 days for DUI. His name was James Brown. This video from the El Paso News is disturbing; I'm sorry.
These cases often come to light only through the diligence of local news, if at all. Take the case of Willie Ray Banks in Burnet, Texas. Officers Tased him for three solid minutes. @Dexinvestigates wrote the story after fighting for documents. https://www.statesman.com/news/20170522/3-minute-taser-jolt-quick-settlement-was-justice-served-in-burnet-mans-death
Willie Ray Banks in Burnet, Texas. Officers Tased him for three solid minutes. @Dexinvestigates wrote the story after fighting for documents. https://www.statesman.com/news/20170522/3-minute-taser-jolt-quick-settlement-was-justice-served-in-burnet-mans-death
Most of the arrests were not for violent crimes. Frank Smart, , was arrested for scalping Steelers tickets. He had epilepsy and had a seizure, at which point four officers put him face down and lay on top of him for 40 minutes. https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2018/06/04/Allegheny-County-Jail-wrongful-death-federal-lawsuit-settlement-Frank-Smart/stories/201806040097
, was arrested for scalping Steelers tickets. He had epilepsy and had a seizure, at which point four officers put him face down and lay on top of him for 40 minutes. https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2018/06/04/Allegheny-County-Jail-wrongful-death-federal-lawsuit-settlement-Frank-Smart/stories/201806040097
Luis Rodriguez was out with his family when his wife slapped their daughter. Police arrested him instead of her. 
Hernan Jaramillo was mistaken for an intruder in his home. And Elijah McClain was walking while wearing a ski mask in the cold. https://gazette.com/video-body-worn-camera-regarding-the-in-custody-death-of-elijah-mcclain/video_9c95d72e-a9f5-11ea-9c86-c3813e519b3f.html
The majority of people we found who died after saying "I can't breathe" were either having a major psychiatric episode or were on stimulant drugs. There are multiple ways to look at this: One says, well, they were behaving erratically, or fighting or trying to run.
But another, promoted in training manuals for law enforcement, warns officers to look for signs that people may be on stimulants or have a psychiatric condition with similar effects, and to then take precautions to avoid dangerous restraint techniques.
In most cases, people died when officers put them face down and put weight on them. This is especially dangerous for people whose heart is racing. It led to the death of Marshall Miles, even though the department had warned against it for 14 YEARS. https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/7055-soto-second-amended-complaintt/9e41178bcd4f3cd5b5ca/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
Marshall Miles, even though the department had warned against it for 14 YEARS. https://int.nyt.com/data/documenthelper/7055-soto-second-amended-complaintt/9e41178bcd4f3cd5b5ca/optimized/full.pdf#page=1
That type of death, from "prone restraint" doesn't get as much attention as choke holds. But it appeared to play a huge role in these cases, for example in the deaths of Byron Williams, Vicente Vilella, Rakeem Rucks and Branch Wroth.
Byron Williams, Vicente Vilella, Rakeem Rucks and Branch Wroth.
There were, of course, officers who killed people in choke holds. Sometimes these were barred but a "carotid hold," which cuts off blood to the brain, was allowed. For Fermin Valenzuela, the officer thought he was using a carotid hold but evidence suggested it was a choke.
Fermin Valenzuela, the officer thought he was using a carotid hold but evidence suggested it was a choke.
Many times in these "I can't breathe" cases, there was an issue of risky restraint types, but also a disbelief that the person needed medical care. This struck me as similar to reporting I have seen by @ByNinaMartin on maternal mortality for Black women.
Some people died not because of police restraints but because they had acute medical needs and did not receive help. The handful involving women fell into this category. The death of India Cummings was ruled a homicide due to neglect. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/in-depth/news/2019/05/28/india-cummings-buffalo-ny-obituary-death-lawsuit-police-erie-county-mental-health-rochester/3447827002/
India Cummings was ruled a homicide due to neglect. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/in-depth/news/2019/05/28/india-cummings-buffalo-ny-obituary-death-lawsuit-police-erie-county-mental-health-rochester/3447827002/
We focused on recent years, but these issues are not new. We found a case from '91, Richard Williams, but did not include it. Same with Matthew Sheridan, who died in '04 after an officer put a biohazard bag over his head, thinking it was a spit hood.
This thread has been long, and I'm sorry. I know it's a lot. But keep in mind, I haven't even listed half the cases we found. For a story limited to people who died in custody after being recorded or witnessed specifically saying "I can't breathe."
OK, so, a few folks are asking for a full list of the people and cases we found. Honestly, that's what I was starting to try to do with this thread, but then it just became unwieldy, especially when trying to also add context. But I can go ahead and try to do it succinctly.
