The death of a 53-year-old Ohio man who died in police custody in April after repeatedly telling authorities “I can’t breathe” was deemed a homicide.
Frank Tyson died on April 18 after being shackled and left face down at an AMVETS station in Canton, some 60 miles south of Cleveland. The preliminary autopsy report, issued Monday by Harry Campbell, lead investigator at the Stark County Coroner’s Office, states the causes of death as cardiac arrest caused by a physical altercation and prone restraint, as well as acute cocaine and ethanol intoxication.
A homicide verdict does not imply that a crime has been committed.
Tyson fights being handcuffed in a roughly 36-minute video of the incident, repeatedly saying, “They’re trying to kill me” and “Call the sheriff,” as he is carried to the ground. When Tyson is handcuffed, one of the officers appears to place his knee on top of his upper body while Tyson says, “I can’t breathe,” several times. The officers tell him he’s alright and to calm down and quit fighting because he’s tied face down. One of them looks through his wallet.
Tyson appears to lie still on the floor for over 5 minutes, while at least one cop converses with bar guests. One of the officers replies, “I’ve always wanted to participate in a bar fight. “I’m not sure if this counts.”
Tyson had been motionless for around 5 minutes before they tested his pulse.
Tyson, who was Black, was arrested following a single-car incident that severed a power pole. A passing motorist, whose face is blurred in the footage, pointed officers to the AMVETS post. A woman unlocks the building’s door and requests that cops remove Tyson.
When the officers approach him at the bar, Tyson knocks over a barstool and orders them to call the sheriff. One of the policemen can be seen on video asking Tyson whether he’s calmed down and breathing. A cop checks Tyson’s pulse and then performs chest compressions on him while he is unresponsive.
The two cops, both white and hired in 2022, are on paid administrative leave.