The legal team and family will hold a Thursday news conference
CANTON, Ohio –– Nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorneys Ben Crump and Bobby DiCello have been retained by the family of 53-year-old Frank Tyson, a Black man who tragically died while crying ‘I can’t breathe’ during an encounter with Canton police officers on April 18.
In recently released body cam footage, Tyson can be heard repeatedly stating, “I can’t breathe,” as officers restrained him, face down and handcuffed, with his hands behind his back. Despite his pleas, Tyson then remained pinned to the ground, motionless, for an extended period before officers checked for his pulse and initiated CPR.
Attorney Crump issued the following statement:
“Almost four years later, and here we are, yet again. Another senseless and preventable death of a Black man, handcuffed, forced to lie face down on the ground by police. As he cried ‘I can’t breathe,’ the police did nothing for reportedly eight minutes, except to tell him, ‘Shut the f*ck up.’ The loss of Frank Tyson is an infuriating tragedy, echoing the haunting cries of George Floyd, whose death should have meant that this one never happened.
“The death of Frank Tyson deserves more than just an investigation — it demands accountability and justice. I promise you, just as we did for George Floyd, we will not rest until those responsible are held to account for their actions. We will fight tirelessly to ensure that Frank Tyson’s death sparks the change that this still-broken system so desperately needs.”
WHO:
Family of Frank E. Tyson
Attorney Ben Crump, Ben Crump Law
Attorney Bobby DiCello, DiCello Levitt
Reverend Dr. John H. McCants Jr, St. Paul AME Church
Hector McDaniels, President, Stark NAACP
Thomas West, President/CEO Greater Stark County Urban League
Reverend Dr. Walter Arrington, Peoples Baptist Church and President of the Greater Canton MLK Commission
WHEN:
May 2 at 11am EST
WHERE:
St. Paul AME Church
1800 Tuscarawas St. East
Canton, OH 44707
A livestream of the event will be provided here.
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ABOUT BEN CRUMP LAW
Through his work, nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump has spearheaded a legal movement to better protect the rights of marginalized citizens. He has led landscape-changing civil rights cases and represented clients in a wide range of areas including civil rights, personal injury, labor and employment, class actions, and more. Ben Crump Law is dedicated to holding the powerful accountable. For more information, visit bencrump.com.
About DiCello Levitt
At DiCello Levitt, we are dedicated to achieving justice for our clients through civil and human rights, class
action, business-to business, public client, whistleblower, personal injury, and mass tort litigation. Our lawyers are highly respected for their ability to litigate and win cases—whether by trial, settlement, or otherwise—for people who have suffered harm, global corporations that have interests. Every day, we put our reputations—and our capital—on the line for our clients.
DiCello Levitt has achieved top recognition as Plaintiffs Firm of the Year and Trial Innovation Firm of the
Year by the National Law Journal, in addition to its top-tier Chambers and Benchmark ratings. For more
information about the firm, including recent trial victories and case resolutions, please visit
www.dicellolevitt.com.
