'Black America's attorney general' coming to Canton to discuss death of Frank Tyson

CANTON – An attorney who has handled high-profile cases involving George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Tyre Nichols and Breonna Taylor will visit Canton on Thursday to discuss the death of Frank E. Tyson, who died April 18 while being arrested by Canton police officers.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump — dubbed “Black America’s attorney general” by the Rev. Al Sharpton — will be in the city for a news conference to speak about "opposition to systemic police violence in Canton, Ohio, that has led to yet another death in Northeast Ohio due to excessive deadly force by law enforcement," according to a news release.

The news conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. at St. Paul AME Church, 1800 Tuscarawas St. East. It will include the Stark County NAACP, Greater Stark County Urban League, church leaders and members of the Tyson family.

“With our teamwork, I am confident that we will find justice for Frank Tyson,” Bobby DiCello, co-lead attorney for the Tyson family, said in a prepared statement.

Tyson, 53, of Canton Township died during the encounter with police. He had earlier crashed his car, shearing off a utility pole, and entered the nearby private AMVETS club on Sherrick Road SE and was acting erratically, authorities said.

Two police officers got into a scuffle as they tried to remove Tyson from the club. Police body camera footage released by the city shows Tyson, with his arms handcuffed behind his back, on the floor face down for nearly 8 minutes before an officer realized he couldn't feel a pulse. Tyson had complained that he couldn't breathe when first placed on the floor.

The police officers have been placed on administrative leave and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating.

Who is civil rights attorney Ben Crump?

Crump has built a reputation as an important voice for many Black Americans in police brutality cases, according to a 2023 profile by USA TODAY. He also has been involved in racial discrimination class-action lawsuits against Google and Wells Fargo.

He also has taken on the U.S. government on behalf of Marines who developed breast cancer linked to toxic tap water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, as well as a Florida amusement park ride operator after 14-year-old Tyre Sampson slipped from his seat and fell to his death from a 400-foot-tall ride.

“I wake up every morning knowing my mission in life is to be an unapologetic defender of Black life, Black liberty and Black humanity,” Crump, who was named by TIME as one of 2021’s most influential people, told USA TODAY. “I don’t care how unpopular it becomes, we can never be ashamed or afraid to stand up for our people.”

Includes reporting by USA TODAY.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Ben Crump coming to Canton to discuss death of Frank Tyson