Unheard Voices: Frank Tyson’s Final Words Echo the George Floyd Protests

Frank Tyson’s final words were “I can’t breathe.” The 53-year-old black man, who had been recently released from prison after serving a 24-year sentence for kidnapping and theft, died at the hands of police officers in Canton, Ohio. The state prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the incident and the two white police officers involved have been relieved of duty.

The police arrested Tyson in a bar on suspicion of a traffic violation and pinned him to the floor while handcuffing him. Video footage captured by the officers’ body cameras shows Tyson screaming for help and stating that he cannot breathe while being held down by officers. Despite efforts to revive him with naloxone, a drug used in opioid overdoses, Tyson was pronounced dead at the hospital less than an hour after his arrest.

Tyson’s death has sparked comparisons with George Floyd who also died in police custody in Minneapolis. Both men had recently crashed their cars before being found in bars by police. The waiter at the bar where Tyson was found asked them to remove him quickly due to his disruptive behavior.

The parallels between Tyson’s death and Floyd’s killing highlight ongoing issues of police brutality and systemic racism in the United States. Recent reports have also highlighted the high number of deaths that occur in custody as a result of police actions not intended to be lethal.

Tyson’s treatment at the hands of law enforcement agencies has raised questions about excessive force and reform within law enforcement agencies. Although he had a criminal history, his death has brought attention to issues beyond individual cases of wrongdoing, emphasizing broader systemic problems within law enforcement. The investigation into his death is ongoing, but calls for justice and accountability continue to grow louder with each passing day as people remember Frank Tyson’s final words: “I can’t breathe.”