In video of the April 18 encounter, Frank Tyson can be seen lying motionless on the floor of a bar for more than 5 minutes before police check him for a pulse.

The Canton Police Department in Ohio has released body camera video from the night a 53-year-old man died after he repeatedly told officers “I can’t breathe” as he was handcuffed with his hands behind his back and he was pinned to the ground.

In video of the encounter on April 18, the man, Frank Tyson, can be seen lying motionless on the floor of a bar for more than 5 minutes before police check him for a pulse and about 8 minutes before CPR is started.

In the nearly 36-minute video, police respond to the scene of a single-car crash to find a downed power pole and an unoccupied vehicle with the driver’s side door open and an airbag deployed.

  • @ParabolicMotion@lemmy.world
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    -392 months ago

    I’m not defending the police here, but could this man have had a heart attack due to the presence of drugs or alcohol in his system, combined with the fact that his heart rate was elevated by resisting arrest? He does not appear to be in good physical condition. I see that his stomach looks a little distended and he sort of waddles as he took steps around the bar area. I’m not condoning the knee on the back, or the amount of elapsed time before checking for a pulse, but I think they should conduct a toxicology test and publish the report soon. Also, the article claims he crashed his car before running into the bar. He might have sustained injuries from the crash, and then exerted himself by running from the scene. There is a lot that occurred in this incident before the police arrived at the bar.

    • @teejay@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I’m not defending the police here, but

      Oh boy, here we go.

      could this man have had a heart attack due to the presence of drugs or alcohol in his system, combined with the fact that his heart rate was elevated by resisting arrest

      Totally. He could have also died from a brain aneurysm, aliens, a very advanced case of SIDS, or a witch’s curse. Or, you know, maybe he died from the whole not being able to breathe thing that was actually happening.

      He does not appear to be in good physical condition. I see that his stomach looks a little distended and he sort of waddles as he took steps around the bar area.

      He didn’t look like he was in great shape? Only fitness buffs and marathon runners with no booze in their systems get to live though being cuffed? Tf is wrong with you.

        • @fosho@lemmy.ca
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          102 months ago

          there is nothing relevant or acceptable about suggesting that an unhealthy person could reasonably die by being arrested. The methods of arrest are objectively fucking incorrect if they result in death for anyone generally being non violent.

    • @pufferfischerpulver@feddit.de
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      202 months ago

      Even if the knee on the back is not the cause what the fuck is wrong with the officers to just brush off his plea for help? Say he has an asthma attack and couldn’t breath, after he’s handcuffed on the floor there’s not much he can do himself. If you immobilised someone you need to take care of them. If they die in your care while calling for help at the least it’s negligence.

    • Flying Squid
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      82 months ago

      Funny, I remember the same question being asked about George Floyd… he had a heart condition, you see.