CANTON — Two Canton police officers have been charged with reckless homicide in the death of a 53-year-old man who repeatedly told them he could not breathe while handcuffed and lying face down.
The Stark County grand jury brought the charges against officers Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch in connection with the April 18 death of Frank Tyson, according to Stark County Prosecutor Kyle Stone.
Tyson, an East Canton resident, was taken into custody after a car accident that severed a utility pole. Police body-camera footage showed Tyson, who was Black, resisting and repeatedly saying, “They’re trying to kill me” and “Call the sheriff” as officers restrained him.
Tyson told the officers he could not breathe, but they responded by telling him he was fine, instructing him to calm down and stop fighting.
While Tyson was lying face down in handcuffs, officers reportedly joked with bystanders and looked through his wallet before realizing he was in medical distress.
The Stark County coroner ruled his death a homicide in August, noting that a heart condition and cocaine and alcohol intoxication were contributing factors.
The charges, announced Saturday by Stone, are third-degree felonies, each carrying a maximum penalty of 36 months in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Stone stated that no evidence supports charges against any bystander.
Following the charges, the Stark County sheriff’s office confirmed that Schoenegge and Burch were booked into the county jail.
Canton police reported that the officers had been placed on paid administrative leave, as per department policy.
Local NAACP chapter president Hector McDaniel also weighed in, calling the charges “consistent with the behavior we saw” in the footage.
“We believe that we’re moving in the right direction towards transparency and accountability and truth,” McDaniel said, as quoted by the Canton Repository.
Tyson had recently been released from state prison after serving 24 years for kidnapping and theft and was later flagged as a post-release control supervision violator for not reporting to a parole officer, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.
