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    • Ohio police officers charged with reckless homicide
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    Ohio police officers charged with reckless homicide

    Sakege Posted on

    The accusations come more than six months after Frank E. Tyson, 53, died after a struggle with police.

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    CANTON, Ohio – Two Ohio police officers have been charged with reckless homicide in the death of a Black man who pleaded “I can’t breathe” several times while police restrained him earlier this year, prosecutors said.

    Canton Police Officers Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch, both 24, were booked into the Stark County Jail on Friday. Their arrests came after a Stark County grand jury accusations issued against them.

    Schoenegge and Burch were charged with reckless homicide because it was “the most accurate description” of the crime they committed, Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone said at a news conference Saturday. By law, the third-degree felony charge carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

    “No one is above the law, and no one is so far below it as to not deserve its protection,” Stone said.

    The allegations come more than six months after Frank E. Tyson, 53, died after a fight with police on April 18 inside an AMVETS building in Canton, a city about 60 miles southeast of Cleveland. the incident sparked public outrage and protests when Bobby DiCello, a lawyer for the Tyson family, said he looked like the Murder of George Floyd in 2020 in Minneapolis.

    Both Tyson and Floyd repeated the words “I can’t breathe” before they died.

    Canton residents called city officials to hold police officers accountable, and local black community leaders noted that police had mistreated black residents. The NAACP has also called for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the Canton Police Department.

    In recent years, the city police have been involved in several high-profile confrontations. Tyson’s case was the third fatal incident involving Canton police officers before a grand jury this year. In the previous cases, the grand jury did not indict the officers.

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    Reaction to accusations in the Frank Tyson case

    Many in the group of about 50 chanted refrains such as “No justice, no peace” as Stone left Saturday’s news conference. DiCello held a press conference immediately after Stone to discuss the allegation.

    “Now we know who the bad guy is,” DiCello said. “It wasn’t Frank. The prosecution tells you who to focus on.”

    Earlier Saturday, DiCello said in a statement that the Tyson family is asking for the public’s “continued support” as they watch the criminal trial unfold.

    “Today, Frank Tyson’s family breathes a brief sigh of relief knowing that the officers who participated in Frank’s inhumane and brutal death will not escape prosecution for their actions,” DiCello said in the statement. “This moment of relief is bittersweet because it makes official what they have known for a long time: Frank is a homicide victim who did not deserve to be suffocated.”

    Cassandra White, whose son Zachary Fornash was shot and killed by a Canton police officer Last year, he also spoke at the press conference. Fornash was reported to have threatened two people with a gun before being shot dead on December 5, 2023.

    The incident took place in less than a minute and a report from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation later revealed that the weapon Fornash was carrying was a pellet gun. In September, a grand jury acquitted the police officer of any crime.

    “These officers need excessive force training,” White said. “They need training to reduce tension.”

    Stark County NAACP President Hector McDaniel told The Canton Repository, part of the USA TODAY Network, that his organization stands for transparency and accountability. McDaniel said the NAACP seeks consistency in criminal charges, regardless of whether average citizens or law enforcement officers are involved.

    “We are very pleased with the fact that both officers, we believe, are receiving … charges consistent with the behavior that we saw,” McDaniel said. “We believe we are moving in the right direction toward transparency, accountability and truth.”

    Thomas West, executive director of the Stark County Urban League, said in a prepared statement that the charges align with what many expected after seeing the April video.

    “We now urge the justice system to act quickly and hold those responsible for this tragic death fully accountable,” he said. “This incident, along with several others that followed, highlights a troubling trend: one that suggests a belief among some law enforcement officers that they are above the law.”

    “While the initial arrest of the officers involved was a necessary first step, it is crucial that the firing of the officers involved and prosecution follow to send a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated and will be responded to with the full force of the law. law,” West added.

    Frank Tyson’s fatal confrontation with the police

    Tyson, of Canton Township, died April 18 after an encounter with police inside the AMVETS building. Tyson had entered the club after crashing a vehicle into a nearby utility pole.

    Tyson was confronted by police inside the club, where a fight ensued and he was handcuffed. Police body camera footage showed Tyson face down on the ground with his arms handcuffed behind his back for nearly eight minutes before an officer realized he couldn’t feel a pulse.

    The footage also showed officers throwing Tyson to the ground as he screamed that officers were trying to kill him. One officer put his knee on Tyson’s upper back and neck for about a minute while another police officer handcuffed him.

    Tyson said “I can’t breathe” several times, according to the footage. “You’re okay,” one of the officers responded, his hand around Tyson’s handcuffed wrist, adding, “Shut your mouth.”

    Less than a minute after being handcuffed, Tyson fell silent.

    TO preliminary autopsy report published in August determined that Tyson’s death was a homicide and that the cause of his death was a combination of acute cocaine and alcohol intoxication, obesity, cardiovascular disease and cardiopulmonary arrest, meaning his breathing and blood circulation stopped, in association with a physical altercation and face-down restraint.

    Schoenegge and Burch were initially placed on administrative leave, but later returned to limited duties. The Canton police handed over the investigation to Ohio Attorney General’s Office of Criminal Investigation – which is common in situations where a local officer shoots or kills someone.

    Union representing police accuses local officials of playing politics

    The president of the union representing Canton police supervisors issued a statement Saturday afternoon accusing politicians and community leaders of exploiting Schoenegge and Burch as “political tools.”

    “Our officers dedicate their lives to protecting this city and ensuring that all citizens feel safe, often at great risk and personal sacrifice,” wrote Craig M. Riley, president of the Order’s Ohio Labor Council Gold Unit. Police Fraternal. “I empathize with the Tyson family and their grief over the tragic passing of Frank Tyson. It always hurts to lose someone close to us, no matter the circumstances.”

    Riley said the Fraternal Order of Police recognizes that policing, like all professions, can improve, noting that “true progress” comes from collaboration, investment and open communication. But he noted the timing of the charges was “incredibly convenient” as Election Day approaches Tuesday and Stone is being challenged for his job as county attorney.

    “Some politicians and ‘community leaders’ have sought to exploit Officers Schoenegge and Burch as political tools to boost re-election campaigns,” Riley wrote. “Let’s be clear: These tactics undermine the real challenges and complex situations our officers face every day. By twisting facts for political gain, they fail to address the true needs of our community and instead seek to vilify those sworn to protect it.” .

    Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

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