“They are trying to kill me…I can’t breathe!” were the last words of a Black man arrested by the US police in Ohio, after an official pinned him down while kneeling on his neck.
The incident that took place on April 18 was captured on the body cam of an official and has garnered a lot of criticism since its release, bringing back memories of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
The Canton Police Department released a video capturing the moments before the death of Frank Tyson, a 53-year-old man suspected of fleeing a single-car accident where the officer was seen pinning the Black to the ground at a bar.
The US police confront Tyson at a bar and an altercation follows. Tyson who was resisting arrest was pinned down by the officers who wrestled him down to the floor. Despite several pleas of “I can’t breathe” Tyson for kept pinned down by an officer by his neck, while another tried to cuff him. The officer attempted to “calm him” and stated, “You are fine!”.
After several minutes, officers notice his lack of responsiveness and proceed to administer CPR. Paramedics arrived on the scene and transported Tyson to a local hospital, where he later died.
In the body cam footage, one police officer can be heard bragging about how he always wanted to be in a “bar fight”.
Following the incident involving Tyson, an investigation has been initiated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. As part of the investigation, the two officers who were involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave. The officers have been identified as Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch. Further details regarding the investigation are yet to be disclosed.
The similarities between Tyson’s death and George Floyd’s fatal encounter with Minneapolis Police in 2020 are striking, and cannot be ignored. The tragic events have sparked global outrage and demand for change.
