Ohio police released video of a Black man who died at a local hospital after repeatedly telling officers "I can't breathe" as they pinned him to the floor of a bar and handcuffed him, evoking memories of the killing of George Floyd in 2020.
In body camera video released on Thursday (local time) by the Canton Police Department, officers are seen apprehending the man, identified as Frank Tyson, 53, who was suspected of leaving the scene of a single-car crash on April 18.
Officers wrestled Tyson to the ground and handcuffed him. One of them is seen placing a knee on his back near his neck for about 30 seconds.
Tyson can be heard repeatedly saying, "I can't breathe. I can't... get off my neck", as an officer yells, "Calm down" and "You're fine" before standing up.
The video next shows Tyson lying motionless, face down on the floor for about six minutes, while officers speak with bar patrons. The officers then check on Tyson, who appears to be unresponsive. They can be heard saying, "Is he breathing?" and "Does he have a pulse?"
Eight minutes after the officers handcuffed Tyson, they removed the cuffs and began CPR. Paramedics then arrive at the scene and take Tyson out of the bar on a stretcher and into a waiting ambulance, the video shows.
Tyson died at a local hospital, according to WKYC, an NBC affiliate in Cleveland. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
The official cause of death has not been determined.
It's reminiscent of Floyd's deadly encounter with Minneapolis police four years ago. A cellphone video of Floyd's killing, which went viral, unleashed a wave of protests worldwide against police brutality and racism.
It shows a white officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeling on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd, who was Black, begs for his life, repeating "I can't breathe" before falling silent.
Chauvin and three of his fellow officers were eventually convicted of manslaughter and other crimes.
The Canton Police Department officers involved in the Tyson incident were identified as Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch, WKYC reported.
Both were placed on administrative leave and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (OCI) is probing the incident, the news station said.
Calls to the OCI were not immediately returned.
