Black man dies after officer in US state of Ohio kneels on his neck while he was handcuffed

By Hakan Copur

WASHINGTON (AA) - Recent footage revealed Friday that a police officer in the US state of Ohio killed Frank Tyson, 53, a black man, after pressure was applied to his neck while he was handcuffed from behind.

Tyson, who allegedly fled from a traffic accident in the Canton region April 18, was killed in a suspected case of police brutality, according to police body camera footage released to the public.

The footage, which immediately went viral on social media, showed Tyson saying: "I can't breathe." It drew comparisons to the death of another black man, George Floyd, who died from police brutality in 2020.

Tyson was detained by police in a cafeteria on suspicion of being involved in a car accident and was on the ground while being handcuffed behind his back, according to the footage.

"They're trying to kill me," Tyson tells police repeatedly.

While lying handcuffed and face down, Tyson can be seen struggling to breathe as an officer presses his knee against his neck.

Tyson shouts: "I can't breathe" several times, before lying motionless on the ground.

Minutes later, officers check if he is alive and realize that Tyson is not breathing. They start CPR before he is transported to the hospital by ambulance as a suspect.

Tyson died at the hospital, according to a police statement, and the officers involved have been suspended, pending an investigation.

Floyd’s death sparked nationwide and international protests against racism and police brutality in the US that lasted weeks.

*Writing by Merve Aydogan