CANTON, Ohio — Inside Mt. Olive Baptist church on the southeast side of Canton, a town hall was conducted for community members following the death of Frank Tyson while in police custody.
Activists and residents showed up to voice their displeasure and seek answers after seeing body camera video of the incident.
"I watched that tape last night," one attendee said, "and I became nauseous."
The 35-minute bodycam footage released by Canton police shows the encounter with Tyson. In it, you can see two officers struggling with Tyson as they confront him after he ran into an AMVETS post in Canton Township. The officers take Tyson to the ground, and one officer can be seen placing a knee on the back of Tyson's upper body.
The video included Tyson saying "I can't breath" before laying motionless for a period of five-plus minutes before police checked for a pulse.
Tyson's family was in attendance Wednesday evening. They sat and listened while others voiced their displeasure and asked questions.
"I believe that if there was one person in that place that looked like him, they could have said, 'Are you OK?'" said a woman at the meeting. "It could have deescalated."
"I believe if respect was used at that place, your loved one would be living today," another man told Tyson's family.
With still few answers, Stark County NAACP President Hector McDaniel called Tyson’s death an unacceptable action by police.
"As of 5:15 p.m. today, letters have been drafted to the Department of Justice to provide some oversight and some intervention into our community," McDaniel declared.
Canton's mayor and police chief were invited to the town hall, but because of the ongoing investigation, they were advised not to come. The Tyson family respectfully declined an interview with 3News.
Organizers of the meeting say that while the process is painful, the struggle is real, and the tape of Frank Tyson is difficult to watch, in a place of worship, they find some peace.
When reached for comment, the Stark County Prosecutor's office said the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation's probe into Tyson's death could take up to five months to complete. Until that time, Tyson's autopsy report will not be released.