View source for Biology:I can't breathe

{{short description|Human rights slogan}}
{{Infobox phrase
|image=George Floyd protest in Grand Army Plaza June 7 (73297).jpg
|caption=George Floyd protest in 2020
|context=[[Social:Police brutality|Police brutality]] and lack of [[Social:Police accountability|police accountability]]
|meaning=Rallying cry against police brutality
|origin=[[Social:Killing of Eric Garner|Killing of Eric Garner]]
}}
"'''I can't breathe'''" is a slogan associated with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. The phrase originates from the last words of [[Social:Killing of Eric Garner|Eric Garner]], an unarmed man who was killed in 2014 after being put in a chokehold by a [[Social:Killing of Eric Garner|New York City Police Officer]]. A number of other Black Americans, such as Javier Ambler, Manuel Ellis, Elijah McClain, and George Floyd, have said the same phrase prior to dying during similar law-enforcement encounters.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title='I can't breathe,' Oklahoma man tells police before dying. 'I don't care,' officer responds. |last=Stelloh |first=Tim |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/i-can-t-breathe-oklahoma-man-tells-police-dying-i-n1229586 |date=June 11, 2020 |access-date=June 22, 2020 |website=NBC News |language=en |archive-date=June 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621231228/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/i-can-t-breathe-oklahoma-man-tells-police-dying-i-n1229586 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{r|Flynn}}<ref>{{cite web |title=The 'I Can't Breathe' Video Police Don't Want You To See |last1=Graham |first1=Taya |last2=Janis |first2=Stephen |url=https://therealnews.com/stories/the-i-cant-breathe-video-police-dont-want-you-to-see |date=June 12, 2020 |access-date=June 22, 2020 |website=The Real News Network |language=en-US |archive-date=June 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200615161941/https://therealnews.com/stories/the-i-cant-breathe-video-police-dont-want-you-to-see |url-status=live }}</ref> According to a 2020 report by ''{{wipe|The New York Times}}'', the phrase has been used by over 70 people who died in police custody.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Mike |last2=Valentino-DeVries |first2=Jennifer |last3=Fernandez |first3=Manny |last4=LaForgia |first4=Michael |date=June 29, 2020 |title=Three Words. 70 Cases. The Tragic History of 'I Can't Breathe.' |language=en-US |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/28/us/i-cant-breathe-police-arrest.html |access-date=June 30, 2020 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630005702/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/06/28/us/i-cant-breathe-police-arrest.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The phrase is now used in widespread protest against police brutality and racial inequality in the United States.

== Eric Garner ==
{{further|Social:Killing of Eric Garner}}
[[File:Justice for All March - Dec. 13, 2014 (15397199274).jpg|thumb|Justice for All March/National March Against Police Violence, Washington, D.C., December 2014]]
The phrase originated in July 2014 during the death of Eric Garner, who was put into a chokehold by Daniel Pantaleo, a New York City Police Department officer. A video of Garner restrained by multiple officers which showed him saying "I can't breathe" 11 times before losing consciousness and dying was widely circulated.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Laughland |first1=Oliver |title='I can't breathe': NYPD fires officer who put Eric Garner in chokehold |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/19/eric-garner-daniel-pantaleo-nypd-officer |website=The Guardian |date=August 19, 2019 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603165859/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/19/eric-garner-daniel-pantaleo-nypd-officer |url-status=live }}</ref> When it was announced on December 3 that after considering the case for two months the grand jury had decided not to indict Officer Pantaleo, protests erupted with Garner's last words, "I can't breathe" used as a slogan and as a chant.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yee |first1=Vivian |title='I Can't Breathe' Is Echoed in Voices of Fury and Despair |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/nyregion/i-cant-breathe-is-re-echoed-in-voices-of-fury-and-despair.html |website=The New York Times |date=December 3, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531170422/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/04/nyregion/i-cant-breathe-is-re-echoed-in-voices-of-fury-and-despair.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Following the December 2014 acquittal of the officer who put Garner into a chokehold, the slogan experienced a dramatic increase in popularity amid widespread protests.

Fred Shapiro, editor of ''The Yale Book of Quotations'', relates that he had already finished his 2014 list of most notable quotes and sent it out to the media on Dec 3, the same day that the grand jury decided to not indict Pantaleo for the death of Garner. Shapiro states that as he watched the news coverage with protesters turning Garner's final words into a rallying cry, within an hour he revised his list, making "I can't breathe" the top quote of the year. He expressed that it was not a slogan of only that moment, but "a phrase with real and lasting impact". Shapiro said that it was the first time he had ever revised a list.<ref name="WaPo_20141209">{{cite news |last1=Izadi |first1=Elahe |title='I can't breathe.' Eric Garner's last words are 2014's most notable quote, according to a Yale librarian. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/12/09/i-cant-breathe-eric-garners-last-words-are-2014s-most-notable-quote-according-to-yale-librarian/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=December 9, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=September 28, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928152631/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2014/12/09/i-cant-breathe-eric-garners-last-words-are-2014s-most-notable-quote-according-to-yale-librarian/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Expressions of solidarity ===
[[File:-ICantBreathe (15947352856).jpg|thumb|upright|A protester in Berlin, Massachusetts, December 2014]]
Aided by expressions of solidarity from amateur and professional athletes and others, the hashtag "#ICantBreathe" was [[Company:Twitter|tweeted]] over 1.3&nbsp;million times during December 2014.<ref name="WaPo_20141209"/>

==== Athletes ====
The first display from athletes was when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team wore T-shirts emblazoned with "I can't breathe" during a December 13 game warm-up.<ref name="Intercept_20191219">{{cite web |last1=Bragman |first1=Walker |last2=Colangelo |first2=Mark |title=Pete Buttigieg Stood by Police Officer Who Mocked and Profited From Eric Garner's Final Plea of 'I Can't Breathe' |url=https://theintercept.com/2019/12/19/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-i-cant-breathe-shirts |website=The Intercept |date=December 19, 2019 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=February 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211193147/https://theintercept.com/2019/12/19/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-i-cant-breathe-shirts/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Athletes from both the National Football League and National Basketball Association, notably LeBron James, wore clothing printed with "I can't breathe."<ref>{{cite news |title=NFL, NBA stars bring 'I can't breathe' protest slogan inside the lines |url=https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nfl-nba-stars-bring-i-cant-breathe-protest-slogan-inside-the-lines |publisher=Fox News |date=December 8, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073013/https://www.foxnews.com/sports/nfl-nba-stars-bring-i-cant-breathe-protest-slogan-inside-the-lines |url-status=live }}</ref> Following criticism of James, President [[Biography:Barack Obama|Barack Obama]] came to his defense, stating "I think LeBron did the right thing... We forget the role that Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Bill Russell played in raising consciousness."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Jake |title=Obama talks about LeBron James and his "I can't breathe" shirt |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-talks-about-lebron-james-and-his-i-cant-breathe-shirt/ |publisher=CBS News |date=December 19, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073014/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-talks-about-lebron-james-and-his-i-cant-breathe-shirt/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In late December, officials from the Fort Bragg Unified School District in Mendocino County, California banned athletes from wearing "I can't breathe" T-shirts before a three-day high school basketball tournament, before reversing the ban.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3310127-181/i-cant-breathe-t-shirts-spark|title=Fort Bragg school officials reverse ban on 'I Can't Breathe' T-shirts (w/video)|date=December 29, 2014|website=Santa Rosa Press Democrat|access-date=June 1, 2020|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073019/https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3310127-181/i-cant-breathe-t-shirts-spark|url-status=dead}}</ref> The American Civil Liberties Union wrote a letter in support of the students.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Anderson |first1=Glenda |last2=McCallum |first2=Kevin |title=Fort Bragg school officials reverse ban on 'I Can't Breathe' T-shirts (w/video) |url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3310127-181/i-cant-breathe-t-shirts-spark |website=Santa Rosa Press Democrat |date=December 29, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073019/https://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/3310127-181/i-cant-breathe-t-shirts-spark |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==== Academics ====
Linguist Ben Zimmer compared it to similar slogans such as "Hands up, don't shoot," which originated in the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown, and the older "[[Social:No justice, no peace|No justice, no peace]]." Zimmer called it "a peculiarly powerful rallying cry," and noted, "to intone the words 'I can't breathe,' surrounded by thousands of others doing the same, is an act of intense empathy and solidarity. The empathy comes from momentarily stepping into the persona of Eric Garner at that instant the life was being choked out of him."<ref name=Wired_20141215>{{cite magazine |last1=Zimmer |first1=Ben |title=The Linguistic Power of the Protest Phrase 'I Can't Breathe' |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/12/ben-zimmer-on-i-cant-breathe/ |magazine=Wired |date=December 15, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603125550/https://www.wired.com/2014/12/ben-zimmer-on-i-cant-breathe/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Zimmer noted that, in the variant "We can't breathe," the phrase becomes directed towards [[Social:Social change|social change]] and more metaphorical. Phrases seen on protests signs such as "Justice can't breathe" and "Our democracy can't breathe" extend the meaning beyond the physical circumstances of Garner's death.<ref name=Wired_20141215/>

Joshua D. Rothman of the [[Organization:University of Alabama|University of Alabama]] noted that fashion statements such as the "I can't breathe" T-shirts are "easily and often dismissed by opponents as a cheap gesture or a stunt." However, analyzing the fashion craze in the late 18th and early 19th century for the "Am I Not a Man and a Brother?" cameos made by Josiah Wedgwood for bracelets and hair ornaments, and subsequent incorporation of the kneeling slave image into many different types of products as the most widely used symbol of the American abolitionist movement, Rothman asserted that "we ought not underestimate fashion's value and significance for building momentum and visibility for a political cause."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rothman |first1=Joshua D. |title=Fashion Statement as Political Statement: The Antislavery Movement and 'I Can't Breathe' |url=http://werehistory.org/fashion-politics/ |website=We're History |date=December 22, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604024906/http://werehistory.org/fashion-politics/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Others ====
[[File:Justice for All March - Dec. 13, 2014 (16017433171).jpg|thumb|Speakers at a December 2014 march in Washington, D.C.]]
The cast of the movie ''Selma'' wore "I can't breathe" shirts to their December premiere.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/3633484/selma-movie-i-cant-breathe-shirts/|title=Selma Cast and Crew Wear 'I Can't Breathe' Shirts to New York Premiere|magazine=Time|access-date=June 26, 2020|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605191222/https://time.com/3633484/selma-movie-i-cant-breathe-shirts/|url-status=live}}</ref> Actor David Oyelowo recounts that members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences complained to movie producers and stated that in retaliation they would not vote for ''Selma'' to receive Oscars. Oyelowo states, "It's part of why that film didn't get everything that people think it should've got and it birthed #OscarsSoWhite."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dalton |first1=Ben |title=David Oyelowo calls for Bafta changes: "It cannot be a road trip for Hollywood" |url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/david-oyelowo-calls-for-bafta-changes-it-cannot-be-a-road-trip-for-hollywood/5150368.article |website=Screen |access-date=June 5, 2020 |language=en |date=June 4, 2020 |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605184201/https://www.screendaily.com/news/david-oyelowo-calls-for-bafta-changes-it-cannot-be-a-road-trip-for-hollywood/5150368.article |url-status=live }}</ref>

Professor Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Reverend Jesse Jackson wrote in a December 2014 opinion piece that the phrase "has become a slogan for the people who have taken to social media and the streets to protest the killing of unarmed African Americans, challenging a system that fails to indict and calling for greater equality."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Kim |first1=Grace Ji-Sun |last2=Jackson |first2=Jesse |title='I Can't Breathe': Eric Garner's Last Words Symbolize Our Predicament |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-cant-breathe-eric-garne_b_6341634 |website=HuffPost |language=en |date=December 18, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=April 17, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417070155/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/i-cant-breathe-eric-garne_b_6341634 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The phrase has been frequently invoked in protest songs and other music. Eric Garner's siblings released the song "I Can't Breathe" in 2016.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Kreps |first1=Daniel |title=Eric Garner's Family Drops Moving New Song 'I Can't Breathe' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eric-garners-family-drops-moving-new-song-i-cant-breathe-192574/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=July 11, 2016 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701134832/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/eric-garners-family-drops-moving-new-song-i-cant-breathe-192574/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The first English song by Russian band Pussy Riot was entitled "I Can't Breathe".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ohlheiser |first1=Abby |title='I Can't Breathe': Pussy Riot's first song in English is about Eric Garner |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/02/18/i-cant-breathe-pussy-riots-first-song-in-english-is-about-eric-garner/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 18, 2015 |language=en |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-date=August 10, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160810100911/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2015/02/18/i-cant-breathe-pussy-riots-first-song-in-english-is-about-eric-garner/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Songwriter H.E.R. released a song by the same name in 2020.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Legaspi |first1=Althea |title=H.E.R. Releases Protest Song 'I Can't Breathe,' Shares New Video |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/h-e-r-releases-i-cant-breathe-song-video-1018032/ |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=June 19, 2020 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |archive-date=June 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622022355/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/h-e-r-releases-i-cant-breathe-song-video-1018032/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Counter-reaction ===
Supporters of the New York City Police Department marched on December 19, 2014, in black hoodies emblazoned with "I can breathe, thanks to the NYPD" and shouted "Don't resist arrest!" at counter-protesters. Separately, shirts produced and sold online by Jason Barthel, a police officer in Mishawaka, Indiana, that stated, "Breathe Easy: Don't break the law" drew criticism.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Howell |first1=Kellan |title='I can breathe - thanks to the NYPD' shirts flood pro-police NYC rally |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/20/i-can-breathe-thanks-to-the-nypd-shirts-flood-pro-/ |website=The Washington Times |date=December 20, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603130644/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/dec/20/i-can-breathe-thanks-to-the-nypd-shirts-flood-pro-/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Ortiz |first1=Erik |title=Indiana Cop Told to Stop Selling 'Breathe Easy' T-shirts |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/indiana-cop-told-stop-selling-breathe-easy-t-shirts-n271581 |publisher=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=December 19, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=December 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219140802/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/indiana-cop-told-stop-selling-breathe-easy-t-shirts-n271581 |url-status=live }}</ref> Barthel stated, "When you break the law, unfortunately there's going to be consequences, and some of them aren't going to be pretty."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wright |first1=Lincoln |title=Mishawaka cop hopes to add new perspective to police-race discussion |url=https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/business/mishawaka-cop-hopes-to-add-new-perspective-to-police-race/article_3f804ad4-5d82-5160-bf26-d40c8106a983.html |website=South Bend Tribune |date=December 16, 2014 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603130642/https://www.southbendtribune.com/news/business/mishawaka-cop-hopes-to-add-new-perspective-to-police-race/article_3f804ad4-5d82-5160-bf26-d40c8106a983.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Members of the city council of South Bend, Indiana asked then-mayor and future-U.S. presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg for cooperation in banning the city from future contracts with Barthel's uniform business. Buttigieg's political opponent Henry Davis Jr. described the response: "He refused to touch it. And when he touched it, he agreed with both sides."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bragman |first1=Walker |last2=Colangelo |first2=Mark |title=Pete Buttigieg Stood by Police Officer Who Mocked and Profited From Eric Garner's Final Plea of 'I Can't Breathe' |url=https://theintercept.com/2019/12/19/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-i-cant-breathe-shirts/ |website=The Intercept |date=December 19, 2019 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=February 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200211193147/https://theintercept.com/2019/12/19/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-i-cant-breathe-shirts/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Javier Ambler II ==

In March 2019, Javier Ambler II died while being arrested in {{wipe|Austin, Texas}}, Texas. Ambler was arrested and tased after fleeing from deputies who sought to stop him for a traffic violation and leading them on a 22-minute car chase which ended in a crash. His final words were "I can't breathe." Ambler's death was ruled a homicide, caused by congestive heart failure and [[Medicine:Hypertension|hypertensive]] [[Medicine:Cardiovascular disease|cardiovascular disease]] in combination with forcible restraint.

==Manuel Ellis==

Manuel Ellis died on March 3, 2020, during an arrest by police officers in Tacoma, Washington.<ref name="nyt-5june" /> Ellis pleaded "I can't breathe" with officers before dying in the minutes after his arrest.<ref name="nyt-5june">{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Mike |title=Before the Death of Manuel Ellis, a Witness Told the Police: 'Stop Hitting Him' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/us/manuel-ellis-tacoma-video-unrest.html |access-date=June 7, 2020 |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=June 5, 2020 |archive-date=June 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210605025711/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/05/us/manuel-ellis-tacoma-video-unrest.html |url-status=live }}</ref> A witness contradicted earlier police accounts of his arrest and death. The video showed police punching Ellis during the arrest.<ref name="guardian-6jun">{{cite news |last1=Golden |first1=Hallie |title=Witness: Manuel Ellis was having 'friendly' talk with officers before he was beaten |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/06/manuel-ellis-police-killing-witness |access-date=June 7, 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=June 6, 2020 |archive-date=June 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606223014/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jun/06/manuel-ellis-police-killing-witness |url-status=live }}</ref> The Pierce County medical examiner ruled that Ellis's death was a homicide, resulting from hypoxia due to physical restraint.<ref name="nyt-5june" /> The medical examiner said other factors contributed to Ellis's death, including methamphetamine intoxication, heart disease and a mask officers had placed over his mouth meant to stop spitting or biting.<ref name="nyt-5june" />

== George Floyd ==
[[File:I Can't Breathe Mama.jpg|thumb|A protester holds a sign saying "I Can't Breathe Momma," at a Black Lives Matter Rally in Dumfries, Virginia. "I Can't Breathe Mama," was one of the last words said by George Floyd while he was being murdered.]]
[[File:Minneapolis_05-28-20_(49947863697).jpg|thumb|upright|A protester in Minneapolis, May 28, 2020]]

On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin murdered<ref name="reuters-21apr">{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Jonathan |title=Minneapolis jury convicts ex-policeman Derek Chauvin of murdering George Floyd |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jurors-resume-deliberations-derek-chauvin-murder-trial-2021-04-20/ |access-date=May 12, 2021 |work={{wipe|Reuters}} |date=April 21, 2021 |archive-date=April 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210425042107/https://www.reuters.com/world/us/jurors-resume-deliberations-derek-chauvin-murder-trial-2021-04-20/ |url-status=live }}</ref> George Floyd by kneeling on the back of his neck for about ten minutes. Police body camera video showed that Floyd said that he couldn't breathe before he was on the ground and under Chauvin's knee.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-nw-nyt-george-floyd-transcripts-20200708-vdqxef3sezferng3nmuzi4blme-story.html |url-status=live |first1=Richard A. Jr. |last1=Oppel |first2=Kim |last2=Barker |title=George Floyd told Minneapolis police officers he couldn't breathe more than 20 times, new transcripts show |work=Baltimore Sun |date=July 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929120835/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation-world/ct-nw-nyt-george-floyd-transcripts-20200708-vdqxef3sezferng3nmuzi4blme-story.html |archive-date=September 29, 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/george-floyd-police-body-cam-video-1.5682285 |agency=Associated Press |date=August 11, 2020 |title=Police body camera footage shows full arrest, struggle, leading to George Floyd's death |access-date=October 1, 2021 |archive-date=November 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127154539/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/george-floyd-police-body-cam-video-1.5682285 |url-status=live }}</ref> Spectator video of the incident showed Floyd saying "I can't breathe" multiple times while he was under Chauvin's knee. Despite his pleas, as well as a bystander exclaiming that the officer was preventing Floyd from breathing, Chauvin continued the restraint for 2 minutes and 53 seconds after Floyd became unresponsive, while three other officers watched.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Editorial Board |title=Another unarmed black man has died at the hands of police. When will it end? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/another-unarmed-black-man-has-died-at-the-hands-of-police-when-will-it-end/2020/05/26/7c426b88-9f80-11ea-9590-1858a893bd59_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603143229/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/another-unarmed-black-man-has-died-at-the-hands-of-police-when-will-it-end/2020/05/26/7c426b88-9f80-11ea-9590-1858a893bd59_story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> All four officers were subsequently dismissed from the police force, with Chauvin being convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, while the three others were charged with aiding and abetting murder.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Four fired Minneapolis police officers charged, booked in killing of George Floyd |url=https://www.startribune.com/four-fired-minneapolis-officers-booked-charged-in-killing-of-george-floyd/570984872/ |date=June 4, 2020 |first1=Stephen |last1=Montemayor |first2=Chao |last2=Xiong |access-date=June 9, 2020 |website=Star Tribune |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609054855/https://www.startribune.com/four-fired-minneapolis-officers-booked-charged-in-killing-of-george-floyd/570984872/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

"I can't breathe" became a rallying cry for the subsequent nationwide protests.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Long |first1=Colleen |last2=Hajela |first2=Deepti |title='I can't breathe' slogan at US protests |url=https://7news.com.au/news/crime/i-cant-breathe-slogan-at-us-protests-c-1069275 |website=7NEWS.com.au |date=May 29, 2020 |access-date=June 1, 2020 |archive-date=June 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603073033/https://7news.com.au/news/crime/i-cant-breathe-slogan-at-us-protests-c-1069275 |url-status=live }}</ref> Protesters have adopted it as a chant.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sugg |first1=Rich |title=George Floyd protesters lie down on Main Street in Kansas City chanting 'I can't breathe' |url=https://www.kansascity.com/news/article243221341.html |access-date=June 3, 2020 |date=June 2, 2020 |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605170254/https://www.kansascity.com/news/article243221341.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In his first public speech on George Floyd's murder and protests on June 2, presidential candidate Joe Biden began with, "I can't breathe. I can't breathe. George Floyd's last words. But they didn't die with him. They're still being heard. They're echoing across this nation."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Memoli |first1=Mike |last2=Edelman |first2=Adam |last3=Shabad |first3=Rebecca |title=Joe Biden rips Trump 'narcissism,' says he's turned U.S. into a 'battlefield' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/joe-biden-george-floyd-s-final-words-i-can-t-n1221996 |website=NBC News |access-date=June 3, 2020 |language=en |date=June 2, 2020 |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604192521/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/joe-biden-george-floyd-s-final-words-i-can-t-n1221996 |url-status=live }}</ref> That same day, ViacomCBS-owned networks paused their programming to show a black screen for 8 minutes and 46 seconds with the words "I can't breathe" displayed (For the case of Nickelodeon Networks, it was interrupted by an orange screen with a scrolling message about the Declaration of Kids' Rights).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Swift |first1=Andy |title=Nickelodeon, MTV and Other Viacom Networks Air Powerful 'I Can't Breathe' Tribute to George Floyd — Watch |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nickelodeon-mtv-other-viacom-networks-193810908.html |website=www.yahoo.com |access-date=June 3, 2020 |date=June 2, 2020 |archive-date=June 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200604051913/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nickelodeon-mtv-other-viacom-networks-193810908.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

At the location of his death, artists painted a mural memorializing Floyd, but deliberately used the words, "I can breathe now," to promote community healing and reclaim a sense of power.<ref name="CNN_June12">{{cite news |last1=Pellerin |first1=Ananda |title='My emotions were so raw': The people creating art to remember George Floyd |url=https://www.cnn.com/style/article/george-floyd-mural-social-justice-art/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=June 12, 2020 |access-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204063646/https://www.cnn.com/style/article/george-floyd-mural-social-justice-art/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> After Chauvin's conviction, the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League tweeted "I CAN BREATHE". Raiders owner Mark Davis, who said the post was his idea, stated that he "look the lead" from Floyd's brother, who after the verdict said: "Today, we are able to breathe again". Afterwards, Davis said that he would not have used the phrase if he had known it was used by police supporters after Eric Garner's death.<ref>{{cite news|title=George Floyd's brother supports Las Vegas Raiders after tweet uproar|date=April 21, 2021|website=ESPN.com|url=https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31303316/george-floyd-brother-supports-las-vegas-raiders-tweet-uproar|access-date=April 21, 2021|archive-date=April 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421181918/https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/31303316/george-floyd-brother-supports-las-vegas-raiders-tweet-uproar|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Counter-reaction ===
On June 24, 2020, Councilman Guy Phillips of Scottsdale, Arizona City, said, "I can't breathe," as he took off his mask at a rally protesting the mandatory mask wearing announced by Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane during the COVID-19 pandemic in Arizona.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Longhi |first1=Lorraine |title='I can't breathe': Scottsdale councilman uses words of George Floyd to protest masks |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2020/06/24/scottsdale-councilman-leads-protest-against-mask-mandates/3245724001/ |website=The Arizona Republic |access-date=June 26, 2020 |date=June 24, 2020}}</ref> He was condemned by local and state officials. Arizona Senator Martha McSally stated, "Despicable. This is a serious moment in history and it's disgusting you are mocking the dying words of a murdered man." Governor Doug Ducey said, "Just flat out wrong. Despicable doesn't go far enough. The final words of George Floyd should ''never'' be invoked like this. Anyone who mocks the murder of a fellow human has no place in public office. Period." Phillips later issued an apology.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Longhi |first1=Lorraine |title='No place in public office': Ducey condemns Scottsdale councilman's 'I can't breathe' comment |url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2020/06/24/arizona-governor-condemns-scottsdale-councilmans-i-cant-breathe-comment/3255551001/ |website=The Arizona Republic |access-date=June 26, 2020 |date=June 24, 2020}}</ref>

Anti-mask protesters have reappropriated the phrase to signal their opposition to mask requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cn|date=March 2022}} During the 2021 storming of the United States Capitol, protesters attempting to enter into the Capitol through a police line chanted "I can't breathe".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hill |first1=Evan |last2=Ray |first2=Arielle |last3=Kozlowsky |first3=Dahlia |title=Videos Show How Rioter Was Trampled in Stampede at Capitol |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/15/us/rosanne-boyland-capitol-riot-death.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=January 16, 2021 |date=January 16, 2021 |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116002505/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/15/us/rosanne-boyland-capitol-riot-death.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Others ==
* Christopher Lowe died while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 26, 2018. When Lowe told officers he was dying and could not breathe, officers told him "Don't pull that shit," berated him, threatened to pepper spray him, and conspired not to tell medical staff about his medical condition, according to disciplinary letters issued against the officers. Five of the officers were fired while two were suspended without pay. Six officers have appealed; one waived his right to appeal and accepted the suspension in lieu of termination.<ref name="Flynn">{{cite news |last=Flynn |first=Meagan |date=June 11, 2020 |title=Another black man who died in custody told officers, 'I can't breathe.' One responded, 'I don't care.' |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/11/derrick-scott-oklahoma-city-police/ |access-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620080722/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/11/derrick-scott-oklahoma-city-police/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Boyd">{{cite news |last1=Boyd |first1=Deanna |last2=Johnson |first2=Kaley |date=January 16, 2019 |title='I can't breathe.' New details in man's death, which resulted in 5 officers fired |work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram |url=https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article224615845.html |access-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-date=June 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200612015301/https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/crime/article224615845.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
* Derrick Scott died in Oklahoma City in May 2019 after being restrained by officers for about 13 minutes. Police were responding to a call about someone brandishing a gun. Scott fled when confronted by police and a gun was removed by an officer during the arrest. One officer put her knee between Scott's shoulder blades and a second straddled Scott's back. When Scott told officers multiple times that he couldn't breathe, one officer responded, "I don't care," and another said, "You can breathe just fine."<ref name="Stelloh">{{cite news |first=Tim |last=Stelloh |title='I can't breathe,' Oklahoma man tells police before dying. 'I don't care,' the officer responds. |date=June 10, 2020 |work=NBC News |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/i-can-t-breathe-oklahoma-man-tells-police-dying-i-n1229586 |access-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-date=June 20, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200620191200/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/i-can-t-breathe-oklahoma-man-tells-police-dying-i-n1229586 |url-status=live }}</ref> Scott died at the hospital an hour later due to a collapsed lung, according to an autopsy that found physical restraint, recent methamphetamine use, asthma, bullous emphysema and atherosclerotic heart disease contributed to Scott's death.{{r|Flynn}} Following an investigation that cleared the officers of wrongdoing,<ref name="KOCO">{{cite news |title=VIDEO: Oklahoma City police release bodycam footage of Derrick Ollie Scott's arrest |url=https://www.koco.com/article/video-oklahoma-city-police-release-body-cam-footage-of-derrick-ollie-scotts-arrest/32816072 |date=June 9, 2020 |work=KOCO-TV |access-date=June 19, 2020 |archive-date=June 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621235140/https://www.koco.com/article/video-oklahoma-city-police-release-body-cam-footage-of-derrick-ollie-scotts-arrest/32816072 |url-status=live }}</ref> Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater told the press, "I mean, he's just a perfect candidate to die when you’ve got meth in your system and those kinds of physical ailments and then you fight with police. [The officers] didn’t do anything wrong at all."{{r|Flynn}}
* Byron Williams died in police custody in Las Vegas on September 5, 2019, saying, "I can't breathe." Williams had been flagged down by Las Vegas Metro Police officers after they spotted him riding his bike without a safety light just before sunrise at 5:48&nbsp;a.m. He fled officers and abandoned his bike and then scaled two walls before being arrested 1 minute and 40 seconds after the start of the encounter. According to police, he resisted by refusing to give up on his arms and that he had drugs on him which he tried to conceal. He was arrested and according to the police video, Williams was held down while on his stomach, he said "I can't breathe" at least 17 times before he eventually lost consciousness. At the end of the pursuit, five officers had arrived at the scene to assist in the arrest. Paramedics arrived 14 minutes after Williams lost consciousness and he was later declared dead at the hospital. Las Vegas police released only some of the bodycam video to the public.<ref name=Hassan/> None of the officers involved has been charged. The incident is one of several police custody deaths that re-emerged following the murder of George Floyd.<ref name="Hassan">{{Cite news|last=Hassan|first=Anita|date=June 18, 2020|title=Byron Williams said 'I can't breathe' 17 times as police restrained him. Why did few protest his death?|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/when-byron-williams-died-saying-i-can-t-breathe-few-n1231342|access-date=June 19, 2020|work=NBC News|language=en|archive-date=June 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200618220932/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/when-byron-williams-died-saying-i-can-t-breathe-few-n1231342|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Torres-Cortez">{{Cite news|last=Torres-Cortez|first=Ricardo|date=September 9, 2019|title=Man who died in Metro custody repeatedly said he couldn't breathe|url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2019/sep/09/man-died-metro-custody-repeatedly-couldnt-breathe/|access-date=June 19, 2020|work=Las Vegas Sun|language=en|archive-date=June 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200629165824/https://lasvegassun.com/news/2019/sep/09/man-died-metro-custody-repeatedly-couldnt-breathe/|url-status=live}}</ref>
*  {{Anchor|John Neville}} John Elliott Neville died in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on December 4, 2019, after being restrained in the Forsyth County jail. During a medical emergency, he was behaving erratically. He said, "I can't breathe" at least 28 times, as well as "Help me", "Let me go" and "Mama". While he was in bent-leg prone restraint,<ref name=Sanderlin/><ref name=Anniversary/><ref name=Hewlett2021>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/john-neville-case-gives-local-focus-urgency-to-national-call-for-racial-justice/article_5bc13462-49ed-11eb-9334-f35707075091.html|title=John Neville case gives local focus, urgency to national call for racial justice|last=Hewlett|first=Michael|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=January 1, 2021|access-date=January 4, 2021|archive-date=January 4, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104015917/https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/john-neville-case-gives-local-focus-urgency-to-national-call-for-racial-justice/article_5bc13462-49ed-11eb-9334-f35707075091.html|url-status=live}}</ref> a technique discouraged in 1995 by the National Law Enforcement Technology Center,<ref name=Kane>{{cite news|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article244777867.html|title=NC jails have known this position is deadly. So why was it used again?|last1=Kane|first1=Dan|last2=Battaglia|first2=Danielle|work=News & Observer|date=August 12, 2020|access-date=August 15, 2020|archive-date=March 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318162004/https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article244777867.html|url-status=live}}</ref> jail staff had difficulty removing his handcuffs. Neville had no pulse and CPR was used, but after being hospitalized he died December 4.<ref name=Sanderlin>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/help-me-john-neville-pleaded-before-he-stopped-breathing-in-the-forsyth-jail-autopsy-details/article_8fc46df4-cbce-57b7-8fc6-a76d15063a6f.html#1|title='Help me,' John Neville pleaded before he stopped breathing in the Forsyth jail. Autopsy details final conscious moments of Greensboro man's life|last1=Sanderlin|first1=Lee O.|last2=Hewlett|first2=Michael|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=July 9, 2020|access-date=August 2, 2020|archive-date=July 29, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729144548/https://journalnow.com/news/local/help-me-john-neville-pleaded-before-he-stopped-breathing-in-the-forsyth-jail-autopsy-details/article_8fc46df4-cbce-57b7-8fc6-a76d15063a6f.html#1|url-status=live}}</ref> Five jailers and a nurse were charged.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/i-cant-breathe-john-neville-repeatedly-told-the-officers-and-the-nurse-now-charged-in/article_89e6994b-e743-5bbf-b14c-dc99514f1bbb.html|title='I can't breathe,' John Neville repeatedly told the officers and the nurse now charged in his death, sources say|work=Winston-Salem Journal|last1=Hewlett|first1=Michael|last2=Sanderlin|first2=Lee O.|date=July 8, 2020|access-date=August 15, 2020|archive-date=August 20, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820220053/https://journalnow.com/news/local/i-cant-breathe-john-neville-repeatedly-told-the-officers-and-the-nurse-now-charged-in/article_89e6994b-e743-5bbf-b14c-dc99514f1bbb.html|url-status=live}}</ref> As of July 24, protests had continued for two weeks.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/demonstrators-pledge-to-continue-daily-protests-in-winston-salem-until-they-get-answers-on-john/article_c9d88130-e1a3-5095-92fc-def753c5d052.html|title=Demonstrators pledge to continue daily protests in Winston-Salem until they get answers on John Neville's death|last=Hewlett|first=Michael|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=July 24, 2020|access-date=August 2, 2020|archive-date=August 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806144815/https://journalnow.com/news/local/demonstrators-pledge-to-continue-daily-protests-in-winston-salem-until-they-get-answers-on-john/article_c9d88130-e1a3-5095-92fc-def753c5d052.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Video of the incident was released after news outlets demanded it.<ref name=Kane/> Triad Abolition Project and others occupied Bailey Park for 49 days until Forsyth County [[Social:Sheriff|Sheriff]] Bobby Kimbrough Jr. announced a ban on bent-leg prone restraint.<ref name=Anniversary>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/its-been-one-year-since-john-neville-died-after-being-restrained-by-forsyth-county-deputies/article_b32033d2-359a-11eb-b1b1-b74c807cdf32.html|title=A somber anniversary: Vigil marks one year since the death of John Neville|last=Hewlett|first=Michael|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=December 4, 2020|access-date=December 4, 2020|archive-date=December 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204025939/https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/its-been-one-year-since-john-neville-died-after-being-restrained-by-forsyth-county-deputies/article_b32033d2-359a-11eb-b1b1-b74c807cdf32.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1|url-status=live}}</ref> Neville's son Sean Neville filed a wrongful death suit in U.S. Federal Court September 29, 2021. The suit named as defendants the five officers, Wellpath LLC, Kimbrough, and Forsyth County. In court papers filed November 23, 2021, Wellpath denied the nurse violated any policies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/forsyth-county-jails-former-medical-provider-disputes-john-nevilles-cause-of-death/article_b808ca58-4c78-11ec-95f9-13535a9343fb.html|title=Forsyth County Jail's former medical provider disputes John Neville's cause of death|last=Hewlett|first=Michael|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=November 24, 2021|access-date=November 24, 2021|archive-date=November 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123223653/https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/forsyth-county-jails-former-medical-provider-disputes-john-nevilles-cause-of-death/article_b808ca58-4c78-11ec-95f9-13535a9343fb.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2022 a grand jury indicted the nurse but not the officers. Court documents filed May 25, 2022 show that the Neville family reached a $3 million settlement on April 19 with Kimbrough and the officers, none of whom admit liability.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/state/settlement-awards-3m-to-family-of-man-who-died-in-custody/article_52e9cc65-9933-5873-abd1-00514ba4ffda.html|title=Settlement awards $3M to family of man who died in custody|via=Associated Press|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=May 25, 2022|access-date=May 26, 2022|archive-date=May 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220526212953/https://journalnow.com/news/state/settlement-awards-3m-to-family-of-man-who-died-in-custody/article_52e9cc65-9933-5873-abd1-00514ba4ffda.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Documents filed July 3, 2023 show that civil claims against Wellpath and the nurse were dismissed with prejudice.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-courts/civil-claims-dismissed-against-nurse-in-death-of-john-neville-michelle-l-heughins-is-also/article_9f9451fc-1b40-11ee-bafe-f3d44e8e9578.html|title=Civil claims dismissed against nurse in death of John Neville|last=Hinton|first=John|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=July 5, 2023}}</ref> The charge against the nurse was later dropped.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://journalnow.com/news/local/crime-courts/forsyth-county-district-attorneys-office-dismisses-involuntary-manslaughter-charge-against-nurse-in-the-death-of/article_d5cce064-53ed-11ee-9d13-832c765d992a.html|title=Forsyth County District Attorney's Office dismisses involuntary manslaughter charge against nurse in the death of John Neville|last=Hinton|first=John|work=Winston-Salem Journal|date=September 15, 2023}}</ref>
* Following the 2021 conviction of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, the DOJ began looking into a 2017 incident discovered by the state prosecution team while doing research for the Chauvin trial. It involved an incident in which Chauvin and another officer were dispatched to a home where a woman claimed she had been attacked by her son and young daughter. Upon arriving, when the boy, fourteen years old at the time, refused to follow the command to lie down on the floor Chauvin hit him with his flashlight so hard that he needed stitches. Then Chauvin allegedly held him down for nearly 17 minutes, ignoring complaints from the boy that he couldn't breathe. According to an account of the incident, after hitting the boy with his flashlight, he grabbed his throat, hit him again, and then "applied a neck restraint, causing the child to lose consciousness and go to the ground." Chauvin and the other officer then placed the boy in a prone position and handcuffed him. According to the account, "the mother pleaded with them not to kill her son."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Levine |first1=Mike |title=After Chauvin's conviction for Floyd murder, DOJ weighs charging him for 2017 incident involving Black teen: Source |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/chauvins-conviction-floyd-murder-doj-weighs-charging-2017/story?id=77254006 |website=ABC News |access-date=April 28, 2021 |archive-date=April 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427170650/https://abcnews.go.com/US/chauvins-conviction-floyd-murder-doj-weighs-charging-2017/story?id=77254006 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*William Jennette, a truck driver, died in Marshall County jail in May 2020 after police restrained him. Jennette was prone and handcuffed on the ground, with multiple officers on his back. After Jennette said he could not breathe, an officer told him: "You shouldn't be able to breathe, you stupid bastard", while other officers stayed on his back for some time. A grand jury did not charge the officers for a crime. His family tried to sue the county, officers, and Lewisburg city for his death in a federal civil rights lawsuit.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hall|first=Ben|date=May 20, 2021|title='You shouldn't be able to breathe,' officer tells man before he dies|url=https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/you-shouldnt-be-able-to-breathe-officer-tells-man-before-he-dies|access-date=May 21, 2021|website=WTVF|language=en|archive-date=May 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521002700/https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/you-shouldnt-be-able-to-breathe-officer-tells-man-before-he-dies|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Lonas|first=Lexi|date=May 20, 2021|title=Video shows officer saying 'you shouldn't be able to breathe' moments before jailed man's death|language=en|work=The Hill|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/554681-video-shows-officer-saying-you-shouldnt-be-able-to-breathe-moments|access-date=May 21, 2021|archive-date=May 21, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210521000859/https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/554681-video-shows-officer-saying-you-shouldnt-be-able-to-breathe-moments|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=May 22, 2021|title=Tennessee cops mocked dying man's plea: 'I can't breathe'|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57194883|access-date=May 22, 2021|archive-date=May 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210522011904/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57194883|url-status=live}}</ref>
*Edward Bronstein on 31 March 2020 in custody of California highway patrol.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/17/california-man-george-floyd-police-death-new-video California man died screaming ‘I can’t breathe’ as police restrained him, video shows] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220318103750/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/mar/17/california-man-george-floyd-police-death-new-video |date=March 18, 2022 }} The Guardian. 2022.</ref>
* David Dungay Jr., an Australian Aboriginal Dunghutti man, was killed in Long Bay Correctional Centre, [[Place:Sydney|Sydney]] in 2015. Dungay had biscuits and began eating them, and refused or ignored orders to stop. Prison guards entered his cell and compressed his body, while he was on the ground. He repeatedly yelled ''"I can't breathe!"'' but this was ignored by prison guards who said "If you can talk, you can breathe." A nurse injected Dungay with [[Chemistry:Midazolam|midazolam]], a sedative which further depressed his breathing. Dungay died shortly after, still with prison guards on top of him. The incident was caught on camera. No criminal charges were laid, and none of the guards involved faced any disciplinary action.
*In a video released by police, 19-year-old Keith Moses, suspected of first-degree murder, repeatedly used the term during his arrest.<ref>[https://nypost.com/2023/02/23/video-shows-arrest-of-florida-teen-accused-of-killing-3/ Video shows chaotic arrest of Florida teen accused of killing TV reporter and 9-year-old girl] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329224858/https://nypost.com/2023/02/23/video-shows-arrest-of-florida-teen-accused-of-killing-3/ |date=March 29, 2023 }} New York Post. 2023.</ref>

== See also ==
<!-- alphabetical order please -->
      <!-- please add a short description WP:SEEALSO, via {{subst:AnnotatedListOfLinks}} or {{Annotated link}} -->
{{div col|colwidth=30em|small=yes}}
* {{Annotated link |Rodney King|"Can't we all just get along?"}}
* {{Annotated link |University of Florida Taser incident|"Don't tase me, bro!"}}
* {{Annotated link |Eight minutes 46 seconds}}
* {{Annotated link |Hands up, don't shoot|"Hands up, don't shoot"}}
* {{Annotated link |How Long, Not Long|"How Long, Not Long"}}
* {{Annotated link |I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street|''I Can't Breathe: A Killing on Bay Street''}}
* {{Annotated link |Killing of Daniel Prude}}
* {{Annotated link |Lists of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States}}
* {{Annotated link |List of protests in the United States}}
* {{Annotated link |No justice, no peace|"No justice, no peace"}}
* {{Annotated link |Pain compliance}}
* {{Annotated link |We Shall Overcome|"We Shall Overcome"}}
{{div col end}}
<!-- alphabetical order please -->

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==


[[Category:Respiration]]

{{Sourceattribution|I can't breathe}}