2 Ohio Officers Charged After Death of Black Man Who Pleaded, 'I Can't Breathe'

Two police officers in Canton, Ohio, have been indicted by a grand jury on reckless homicide charges in the death of a Black man who died in April after being restrained by police and telling officers he couldn’t breathe, authorities said.

Officers Camden Burch and Beau Schoenegge, both 24, were booked into the Stark County Jail on Friday, Nov. 1, local outlets WKYC and WOIO report, citing jail records. 

Stark County prosecutor Kyle L. Stone announced the indictments at a press conference on Nov. 2, saying he presented the findings of an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation probe into Tyson's death to a grand jury last week. 

The indictments come about six months after Frank E. Tyson, a 53-year-old East Canton, Ohio, resident, died in police custody on April 18, reads a press release from attorney Bobby DiCello, who is representing the Tyson family. 

DiCello said Tyson was handcuffed and restrained with a knee to his upper back and neck by police while pleading, “I can’t breathe,” the release states.

The incident occurred after Tyson fled the scene of a crash, Canton police previously said, CNN reported. Police-body camera footage obtained by the outlet shows officers forcing Tyson to the ground and putting him in handcuffs, 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. Tyson was pronounced dead at the hospital, the outlet reported.

After completing an autopsy, the Stark County Coroner’s Office determined that Tyson’s death was a homicide, WOIO reports. The contributing causes included acute intoxication by cocaine and alcohol and cardiopulmonary arrest, per the outlet.

“I want to extend my deepest sympathy to those close to Mr. Tyson,” Canton Police Chief John Gabbard said at the time, per CNN. According to the outlet, the two officers initially were placed on administrative leave but the current status of their employment is unclear.

PEOPLE reached out to the Canton Police Department for additional comment but did not hear back in time for publication. 

DiCello said in the release: "We acknowledge that this is just one step to achieving justice for Frank and his family in what has been a long and very difficult journey."

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“It is incredibly rare to achieve an outcome like this. It takes strength, courage, and a community to stand up for itself. We will not stop fighting for Frank and his family as we relentlessly pursue justice," DiCello added.

According to WOIO, Burch and Schoenegge could face up to 36 months in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of the third-degree felony charge.

The officers, who are being held on $25,000 bond, are expected to be arraigned on Friday, Nov. 8, WKYC reports. PEOPLE couldn’t immediately identify attorneys who could speak on their behalf.

Following the charges, Frank’s brother John Tyson said at the press conference, per DiCello’s release, "It’s not the win we were looking for, but we will take this small win and build upon it."

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