Jurors were shown autopsy photos of Manuel Ellis and some of his articles of clothing, including the spit hood put on him by Tacoma police, when a death investigator and a forensic pathologist testified on Thursday in the trial for the death of Manuel Ellis. Expert forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell also made a determination of how Manuel Ellis died on March 3, 2020, and his conclusion differs from the Pierce County Medical Examiner's. In May 2021, Mitchell determined Ellis died from mechanical asphyxia due to violent subdual and restrain by law enforcement with contributing causes being evidence of aspiration and blood in oral contents due to spit hood placement, methamphetamine toxicity and dilation of the heart. “Mechanical asphyxia can have more of an effect on a person’s body than just hypoxia,” Mitchell said “I believe that it was not only hypoxia – because hypoxia played a part – but the fact that Mr. Ellis could not move his chest to be able to breathe the way he needed to breathe because of his position and because of the presence of individuals on top of him.” He explained that asphyxia includes not only hypoxia, but includes consideration if how hard someone's heart is working and the amount of acid build up in a person's body from a lack of oxygen during a physical struggle. “I specifically suggest that that violent subdual is part of his cause of death, as well,” he said. “I go a little further, I think, than Dr. Clark than just saying he had a lack of oxygen in his tissues.” READ MORE: https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/death-of-manuel-ellis/death-investigator-testifies-death-of-manuel-ellis/281-b12421b8-0fe0-4139-b6fb-f87e42e5dee8