Shocking Developments and Claims in the New ‘I Can’t Breathe’ Police Death
Since our report last week on the in-custody police death of Frank Tyson, his family has made a shocking claim about his deadly previous law enforcement encounter.
Tyson was released from prison two weeks before his death after serving a 24-year sentence for grand theft auto and kidnapping. But his family claimed during a May 2 news conference that the police framed him for the crime, WKYC-TV reported.
Their evidence, which appeals courts dismissed, included affidavits from two key witnesses who allegedly recanted their testimony and accused the prosecutor of telling them to lie.
“What is worse, the wrongful conviction or the wrongful death?” civil rights attorney Ben Crump asked at the press conference. “Robbed of his liberty for 24 years because of a racist, uncompassionate criminal justice system.”
Disturbing police body-cam footage shows Canton, Ohio, police officers Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch taking Tyson into custody on April 18 at an AMVETS bar where authorities claim Tyson fled after a single-car crash.
Tyson, 53, is seen face-down in handcuffs, telling the officer with a knee on his back that he can’t breathe. They left Tyson unconscious on the ground for several minutes before bothering to check on his condition. Tyson was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Below is the disturbing video of Tyson’s fatal arrest.
Rev. Al Sharpton delivered the eulogy Wednesday at Tyson’s funeral. The civil rights leader demanded accountability.
“This was not in the family plan. [Frank Tyson] did 24 years under questionable circumstances. Just got out of jail, and just a few days later killed by a policeman,” Sharpton said.
“He did his time for what you accused him of a crime. Well now, where is the policeman that put his knee on his back and the other policeman? And when he was begging for his life told him to shut the f up? Well, if you made Frank pay for something his family said he didn’t do, we come to tell you those two police need to pay for what we know they did.”
Meanwhile, damaging news surfaced about one of the officers involved in Tyson’s death: It turns out that Burch’s personnel file revealed some credibility issues, according to WOIO-TV. Burch, 24, reportedly neglected to disclose to the police department that he was fired from Target for theft before joining the force in 2022.
The NAACP sent a letter to the Department of Justice for a federal investigation.
“Nearly 4 years after the tragic death of George Floyd, we are forced to bear witness to yet another unarmed Black man cry out for air at the hands of law enforcement. This is unconscionable,” the organization stated.
