In Canton, Ohio, a man named Frank Tyson died in police custody on April 18 this year, and the Stark County Coroner’s Office has ruled his death as a homicide. The 53-year-old resident of East Canton died after being handcuffed and left face down on the floor of a social club in Canton, where he informed officers that he was having trouble breathing. The preliminary autopsy report indicated that Tyson had a heart condition and was intoxicated with cocaine and alcohol, which were contributing factors. It is important to note that the coroner’s ruling of homicide does not automatically imply that a crime was committed.
Police bodycam footage revealed Tyson resisting arrest and repeatedly telling officers, “They’re trying to kill me” and “Call the sheriff,” while being restrained on the floor. Tyson, who was Black, had been apprehended shortly after being involved in a vehicle crash that damaged a utility pole. At the scene, a woman asked officers to remove him from the premises urgently.
The video footage also showed police using force to restrain Tyson, including placing a knee on his back, despite his complaints of not being able to breathe. Officers dismissed Tyson’s concerns, instructed him to calm down, and ignored his pleas for help as he lay on the floor with his hands cuffed and legs crossed. Approximately five minutes after Tyson’s initial distress calls, one officer questioned if he had calmed down, and the response was that “He might be out.”
The two white Canton officers involved in Tyson’s detainment have been placed on paid administrative leave pending further investigation. Tyson had been released from state prison on April 6 after serving 24 years for a kidnapping and theft conviction. Shortly after his release, he violated his post-release control supervision by failing to report to a parole officer, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.