'I can't breathe:' Black man in Ohio pleads US police before dying

Ohio police released disturbing footage Thursday of Frank Tyson, a 53-year-old black man who tragically died in a local hospital after repeatedly pleading "I can't breathe" while being restrained by police officers in a bar.

The incident occurred on April 18 and has been compared to the killing of George Floyd in 2020, reigniting debates about police behavior and racial injustice.

Body camera footage made public Thursday by the Canton Police Department captures the sequence of events that led to Tyson's death.

It begins with police officers responding to a report of a single-vehicle accident and the driver, identified as Tyson, fleeing toward a nearby tavern.

After finding Tyson in the bar, the officers attempted to apprehend him, leading to a struggle in which Tyson expressed concern for his safety and claimed that the officers were trying to harm him. Defying Tyson's pleas, the officers subdued Tyson, and one officer was seen placing his knee on Tyson's back near his neck for an extended period of time.

Repeatedly throughout the ordeal, Tyson continued to express his distress and repeatedly said he could not breathe. Despite the officers' repeated assurances, Tyson remained motionless on the ground for several minutes before the officers checked his condition and realized he was unresponsive.

Paramedics were eventually called to the scene and Tyson was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

The exact cause of Tyson's death has not yet been determined and investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Echoes of George Floyd

Similarities between Tyson's case and the tragic death of George Floyd have drawn attention to ongoing issues of police brutality and systemic racism. Floyd's murder, captured on cell phone footage and widely disseminated, sparked global protests against police brutality and racial discrimination.

The release of the body camera footage has led to renewed calls for accountability and reform within law enforcement, although the circumstances of Tyson's death are still under investigation.

Source: Reuters