The Dangerous Cost of Policing: The Tragic Death of Frank Tyson and the Urgent Need for Systemic Change

The tragic death of Frank Tyson, a black man from Ohio who had just been released from prison, has raised once again concerns about police brutality and the treatment of black individuals in the criminal justice system. Tyson died at the hands of police officers in Canton, Ohio, after they came to arrest him for a suspected traffic violation. Despite efforts to revive him and administer naloxone, a drug used in opioid overdose cases, Tyson was pronounced dead at the hospital less than an hour after his arrest.

The events leading up to Tyson’s death were captured on the police department’s body camera. In a video of the arrest, Tyson can be heard screaming for help and saying he can’t breathe as an officer kneels on his back. Since being released from prison on April 6, Tyson had failed to fulfill his obligations to register, according to parole authorities.

According to reports by the Associated Press, over a thousand people have died in custody in the US as a result of police actions that were not intended to be lethal. This tragic incident echoes the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis four years ago which sparked nationwide protests and reignited the Black Lives Matter movement. The state prosecutor’s office is investigating the case and two white police officers involved have been relieved of duty temporarily.

Tyson’s last words “I can’t breathe” reverberate with George Floyd’s tragic death and it brings attention once again to how systemic racism has impacted black individuals within our society. The incident highlights not only police brutality but also how marginalized communities are treated within our justice system as well as how we must continue to address these issues head-on if we want change for future generations