Ellis should've known that if Ermac was willing to lay the smackdown, he wouldn't hold back for the sake of appearances. He's practically jettisoned out of the blindspot and crashes into a nearby post. He probably started the heck out of that poor civilian, more so when upon closer examination of the pole reveals it bent.

"Fuckin' ow," he hissed under his breath, before he tipped his hat towards the crowd, "Excuse me y'all but there's a nation t' liberate!"

El knows the power of image and the swashbuckling rebel is a much more palatable concept for the undecided people than the nameless grunts the Peacekeepers behaved like.