Frank Tyson, a 53-year-old African American, died in police custody in Canton, Ohio, after an officer pinned him to the ground with his knee on his neck and shortly after he shouted “I can’t breathe”. The police released the 36-minute video of the incident which occurred on April 18, into which an investigation has been launched. The officers involved have been temporarily suspended. That “I can’t breathe” recalls the events that preceded the death of George Floyd last May 2020 in Minneapolis and which profoundly affected the United States and the entire world, giving new life to the Black Lives Matter movement.
What happened
Police were looking for Tyson after the man ran into an electric pole and ran away, later finding shelter in a veterans’ club. When officers arrived at the scene, Tyson began shouting “they want to kill me”. In the background, the American media report, a voice is heard saying “they want to help you”. Police then stopped him and placed him on the ground, with one of the officers pinning him down with his knee on his neck for at least 30 seconds to allow another officer to handcuff him. Tyson began repeatedly saying “I can’t breathe,” and the officers told him to calm down. Tyson remained motionless on the floor for over five minutes, then the police checked his pulse and found there was no pulse. More minutes pass before cardiopulmonary resuscitation is performed, then an ambulance arrives and the man is taken to hospital where he is declared dead.
