Investigation into death of Black man in police custody in Ohio

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A 53-year-old Black man, Frank Tyson, died in police custody last week in Canton, Ohio, after officers restrained him facedown on the floor of a social club. The two officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave as investigations into the incident are underway.

Body camera footage shows Officer Beau Schoenegge responding to a report of a crash on April 18th and finding Tyson at a nearby AMVETS post. A woman urged police to “get him out of here.”

As officers attempted to handcuff Tyson, he resisted, repeatedly stating, “They’re trying to kill me” and “Call the sheriff.”

Tyson was taken to the floor, with an officer’s knee on his back at one point. Despite immediately telling officers he couldn’t breathe – words often disregarded preceding in-custody deaths – police told him to calm down as he lay facedown with legs crossed. For nearly five minutes, officers joked with bystanders before realizing Tyson was in medical crisis.

The events echoed the 2020 killing of George Floyd, who also told officers he couldn’t breathe before dying under restraint. When Canton police tried moving Tyson, he was unresponsive. Officers attempted CPR and administered Narcan before medics arrived, but Tyson was pronounced dead at a hospital less than an hour later.

Tyson’s niece Jasmine criticized the officers’ actions on the “nonsense” video. An autopsy has been conducted as the state attorney general’s office investigates whether charges over the use of force are warranted.

Tyson had recently been released from prison on April 6th after serving 24 years for kidnapping and theft. He was declared a parole violator for failing to report to an officer.

The incident has raised concerns over police restraint tactics and whether officers properly heeded Tyson’s pleas that he couldn’t breathe during the fatal encounter.