'I can't breathe': Black man in Ohio pinned down by cops before he died
A video released by the Ohio Police Department shows officers pinning down a man, identified as Frank Tyson, who was suspected of leaving the scene of a car accident on April 18.
In Short
- Ohio man dies after police detainment
- Frank Tyson, 53, suspected of hit and run
- Video shows Tyson repeatedly saying 'I can't breathe'
A Black man who died in Ohio was pinned down by policemen as he told them 'I can't breathe', evoking memories of the killing of George Floyd in 2020.
The Ohio Police Department released body-camera footage, showing cops detaining a man, identified as Frank Tyson, 53, who was suspected of leaving the scene of a car accident on April 18.
The 36-minute video shows the patrol officer coming upon a car that had struck an electrical pole. A bystander says that the vehicle's driver had fled into a nearby tavern.
Officers are then seen entering the establishment, where they find Tyson standing at the bar. As the cops try to grab his arm, Tyson is seen shouting "they are trying to kill me" and "call the sheriff."
The officers then wrestle Tyson to the ground and handcuff him. One of the cops is seen placing a knee on his back near his neck.
Tyson can be heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe. I can't... get off my neck," as an officer yells "Calm down" and "you're fine" before standing up.
After some struggle, Tyson becomes motionless. The officers then check on Tyson and can be heard saying "is he breathing?" and "does he have a pulse?"
The video shows the officers uncuffing him and giving him CPR. The Canton Police Department officers involved in the Tyson incident were identified as Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch, Reuters reported.
Tyson died at a local hospital in Cleveland. Chief investigator Harry Campbell with the Stark County Coroner's Office said an autopsy was conducted earlier in the week and Tyson's remains were released to a funeral home.
Frank Tyson was released from prison on April 6 after serving 24 years on a kidnapping and theft case. However, he was almost immediately declared a post-release control supervision violator for failing to report to a parole officer, according to an Associated Press report.
The incident is reminiscent of George Floyd's death, who died in a similar encounter with police in Minneapolis four years ago. A video of Floyd's killing, which went viral, showed a white officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes as he begged for his life, repeating "I can't breathe".
Chauvin and three of his fellow officers was eventually convicted of manslaughter and other crimes.