Frank Tyson: Two Ohio officers are charged with involuntary manslaughter of a black man in police custody

CNN
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Two police officers in Canton, Ohio, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Frank Tyson, a Black man who was restrained by police in April, Stark County Prosecutor Kyle L. Stone said Saturday.

Officers Camden Burch and Beau Schoenegge were booked into the Stark County Jail on Friday, according to CNN affiliate WOIO.

Stone said the state Division of Criminal Investigation has completed its investigation into Tyson's death and presented the findings to the district attorney's office. Stone then presented the case to a grand jury last week.

“No one is above the law and no one is so below the law that they do not deserve its protection,” Stone said.

Reckless homicide is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 36 months in prison.

The arrests come more than six months after 53-year-old Tyson died following an April 18 encounter with police in which he repeatedly pleaded, “I can't breathe.”

Jay McDonald, president of the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, the union that represents Canton police, responded to the arrests in comments to CNN.

“We urge people to give these officers the same rights as the people they arrest. They are innocent until proven guilty,” he said. “More than that, we cannot question their actions – the United States Supreme Court requires that cases involving police not rely on 20/20 hindsight, but rather focus on what the officers saw and how they acted based on their training and rules.” Commitment.”

In a press conference, Tyson's family and their lawyers expressed mixed reactions to the allegations.

“It's not the victory we were hoping for, but just as the indictment was unexpected, we will take this small victory and build on it,” John Tyson, Frank's brother, told CNN affiliate WOIO.

“Now we know who the bad guy is, and it wasn't Frank,” said family attorney Bobby DiCello.

Bodycam video shows final moments

According to a news release from the Canton Police Department, the incident began after Tyson crashed a vehicle into a utility pole and fled to a nearby veterans hall.

Police body camera footage shows officers approaching Tyson, who screamed to call the sheriff and said, “They're trying to kill me.” Officers forced Tyson to the ground and handcuffed him, and one officer put his knee on or near Tyson's neck while he was lying on his stomach, according to bodycam video of the interaction.

“I can’t breathe,” Tyson said repeatedly.

“You’re fine,” an officer responded. “Keep your mouth shut.”

Five minutes after he stopped speaking, officers discovered he was unresponsive, the video shows. Officers administered multiple doses of Narcan, the drug used to reverse opioid overdoses, and performed CPR, the video shows. Tyson was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead.

According to WOIO, Stark County Coroner's Office Chief Investigator Harry Campbell classified Tyson's death as a homicide in August. The preliminary autopsy also listed causes of acute cocaine and alcohol intoxication and cardiopulmonary arrest, WOIO reported.

The police incident report on the death contained sparse details, saying only: “The suspect crashed a vehicle, fled from officers and resisted detention.”

The two officers were initially placed on administrative leave.

“I want to express my deepest condolences to those close to Mr. Tyson,” Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said at the time.

Tyson's fiancée Sabrina Jones spoke to CNN's Victor Blackwell in May about her feelings watching the bodycam footage. “I was hurt, devastated, angry, angry. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was wrong and I just can’t get the video out of my head,” she said.

The head of the local police union also sent a statement to the Canton Repository about the arrests.

“Our officers dedicate their lives to protecting this city and ensuring every citizen feels safe, often at great personal risk and sacrifice,” said Craig M. Riley, president of the Gold Unit of the Fraternal Order of Police Ohio Labor Council. “I sympathize with the Tyson family and their sadness at the tragic death of Frank Tyson. It always hurts to lose someone close to us, no matter the circumstances.”

Additionally, Riley criticized the officials for attempting to “exploit” the officers as “political tools to promote re-election campaigns.”

“By twisting facts for political reasons, they fail to address the true needs of our community and instead seek to denigrate those sworn to protect them,” Riley told Medium.