News Brief
Kuldeep Negi
Apr 27, 2024, 10:27 AM | Updated 10:27 AM IST
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The Ohio police in the United States released a video footage of a Black man who died at a local hospital after telling officers "I can't breathe" as they pinned him to the floor of a bar and handcuffed him.
The incident, which occurred on April 18 and involved Frank Tyson, 53, has sparked comparisons to the killing of George Floyd in 2020.
The Canton Police Department shared the 36-minute body camera video on Thursday, showing officers responding to reports of a single-car accident where the driver had fled into a nearby tavern.
Upon locating Tyson at the bar, an altercation unfolded as officers attempted to detain him, during which Tyson repeatedly shouts, "They are trying to kill me" and "Call the sheriff."
The footage shows officers wrestling Tyson to the floor and handcuffing him, with one officer placing a knee on Tyson's back near his neck for around 30 seconds.
Tyson is heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe" as officers instruct him to "calm down."
The video next shows Tyson lying motionless, face down on the floor for about six minutes, while officers speak with bar patrons.
The officers then check on Tyson, who appears to be unresponsive. They can be heard saying, "Is he breathing?" and "Does he have a pulse?"
About eight minutes after they handcuffed him, officers remove the handcuffs and begin CPR when Tyson appears unresponsive.
Paramedics arrive shortly after and transport Tyson to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The incident has drawn parallels to George Floyd's death, which ignited global protests against police brutality and racism.
In Floyd's case, a white officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of manslaughter and other charges for kneeling on Floyd's neck for over nine minutes.
The officers involved in Tyson's case, identified as Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch, have been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (OCI), as reported by WKYC.
The official cause of Tyson's death has not been determined.
Kuldeep is Senior Editor (Newsroom) at Swarajya. He tweets at @kaydnegi.