NEW YORK — New Yorkers enraged by a man’s death in police custody see a medical examiner’s ruling that blames a prohibited chokehold as a clear indication the officers involved should face criminal charges.

“They killed somebody,” neighbor Charlene Thomas said after the city’s medical examiner deemed Eric Garner’s death a homicide.

Garner was killed by neck compressions from the chokehold and “the compression of his chest and prone positioning during physical restraint by police,” city medical examiner spokeswoman Julie Bolcer said Friday.

Ramsey Orta, who videotaped Garner’s struggle with police, said the ruling wasn’t surprising.

“I knew that was the cause because I saw it,” he said. “Now somebody should get charged.”

Asthma, heart disease and obesity were contributing factors in the death of the 43-year-old Garner, a 6-foot-3, 350-pound father of six, according to the medical examiner’s office.

His videotaped arrest and final pleas of “I can’t breathe!” sparked outrage and led to the overhaul of use-of-force training for the NYPD.

The confrontation between the white officer who used the chokehold, Daniel Pantaleo, and Garner, who is black, prompted calls for a federal civil rights investigation.

The finding increases the likelihood that the case will be presented to a grand jury to determine whether Pantaleo or any other officers involved in the confrontation will face criminal charges.