'I can't breathe:' Bodycam captures handcuffed black man Frank Tyson's final words as police knelt on his back

This image, taken from Canton Police body camera video, shows 53-year-old Frank E. Tyson on Thursday, April 18, 2024, in Canton, Ohio

Police bodycam footage has captured the final moments of Frank Tyson, a handcuffed Black man, as officers knelt on his back. Tyson, 53, tragically died in police custody after being arrested while face down on the floor of a social club last week.

The released bodycam video shows Tyson telling officers, 'I can't breathe,' echoing the haunting words of George Floyd, whose death in 2020 sparked widespread Black Lives Matter protests.

Footage has now revealed that Tyson was telling officers: 'I can't breathe,' eerily echoing the words of George Floyd, whose death at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020 caused widespread Black Lives Matter protests

The footage reveals that the incident began when police responded to a report of a crash involving a single car that had hit a utility pole around 8 pm on April 18. The crash led police to Tyson, who was at a nearby American Veterans (AMVETS) post in East Canton, Ohio.

Officer Beau Schoenegge's bodycam captures the moment when a woman at the venue urges police to remove Tyson. Despite Tyson's resistance and pleas, officers handcuffed him, and he was taken to the floor, expressing fear for his life.

Police grabbed Tyson, and he resisted being handcuffed and said repeatedly, 'They're trying to kill me' and 'Call the sheriff,' as he was taken to the floor. They restrained him - including with a knee on his back - and he immediately told officers he could not breathe

While restrained on the floor with a knee on his back, Tyson repeatedly tells officers he can't breathe. Despite this, officers continue to instruct him to calm down and stop resisting.

Moments later, officers realize Tyson is in medical distress and unresponsive. CPR is administered, and medics are called, but Tyson is pronounced dead at a hospital less than an hour later.

Officers told Tyson he was fine, to calm down and to stop fighting as he was facedown with his legs crossed on the carpeted floor. Police were joking with bystanders and leafing through Tyson's wallet before realizing he was in a medical crisis

An autopsy has been conducted, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the probe. The Mayor of Canton expressed condolences to Tyson's family and emphasized transparency in addressing the incident.

The use of prone restraint, where suspects are kept on their stomachs, has been flagged by experts as potentially dangerous due to the risk of positional asphyxia.

An investigation by The Associated Press highlighted over 1,000 deaths in a decade related to non-lethal police restraints, including prone restraint methods.