On April 18, 53-year-old East Canton man Frank Tyson died while in the custody of the Canton police.
Officers were initially responding to a report of a one-vehicle crash, then tried to apprehend Tyson at a nearby AMVETS building. Tyson was detained after a short struggle, then body camera footage shows the officers kneeling on Tyson's back while he yells, "I can't breathe."
The officers involved are currently on paid leave. The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is currently looking into the case. The Stark County NAACP is also urging the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the case.
The death is another instance of an unarmed Black man dying during an interaction with police, and has called some to draw disturbing parallels to the death of George Floyd back in 2020.
Monday on the “Sound of Ideas,” we’ll begin the program by digging into Tyson's death and the reaction across the city of Canton.
Later in the show, we’ll discuss another police matter, this time in the city of Twinsburg.
On April 30, Officers Olivia Bartulovic and Daniel Fidoe were terminated by the city. Those officers, along with one other, are involved in a lawsuit against the city and the chief of police, citing sexual harassment, tampering with records and a toxic work environment.
Ideastream Akron/Canton reporter Abigail Bottar will join us to discuss both the Canton and Twinsburg stories.
To end the program, we'll hear a conversation with former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Adm. James Stavridis. He was recently in town to speak at an event organized by the Cleveland Council on World Affairs. His visit also coincides with the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Guests:
- Abigail Bottar, Akron/Canton Reporter, Ideastream Public Media
- Brian Bardwell, Founder and Attorney, Speech Law LLC
- Adm. James Stavridis, Former Supreme Allied Commander, NATO
