May 1, 2024

Kristen Clarke, Esquire

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001

Re: Request to Investigate the Death of Frank Tyson

Dear Assistant Attorney General Clarke:

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (“NAACP”), calls on the U.S.
Department of Justice to investigate the death of Frank Tyson, a 53-year-old African American man. On
April 18, 2024, Canton, Ohio police responded to a car accident. At the scene of the car accident, a
bystander informed the police that the driver fled into a nearby bar. The bystander accompanied the
officer to the bar and identified Frank Tyson as the driver. When Mr. Tyson refused to leave the bar, the
police attempted to arrest Mr. Tyson. Mr. Tyson resisted arrest and stated several times, “They are
going to try to kill me.” In addition, he yelled several times, “Call the Sheriff!” Eventually, the police
officers pinned Mr. Tyson on the ground face down. One officer put his knee on Mr. Tyson’s back. The
other officers handcuffed him.

While the officers continued to pin Mr. Tyson down, Mr. Tyson repeatedly yelled, “I can’t breathe.” In
response, an officer said, “Stop fighting.” Eventually, the officer got off of him and said, “You’re fine.
Shut the f*ck up.” Mr. Tyson was unconscious shortly after the officer got off of him. Approximately 6
minutes later, the police checked Mr. Tyson’s pulse. They shook him and administered CPR. Mr.
Tyson remained unresponsive. The police called medics to the scene. Approximately 10 minutes later,
the medics arrived on the scene. According to news reports, Mr. Tyson was pronounced dead at 9:18
p.m.

The NAACP is deeply troubled by this horrific tragedy. Despite Mr. Tyson repeatedly yelling
that he could not breathe, the officer kept his knee on Mr. Tyson’s back. The other officers held him
down as well. Similar to the deaths of Eric Garner and George Floyd, the police ignored Mr. Tyson’s
pleas. Moreover, Mr. Tyson was unconscious for several minutes before the police finally checked his
pulse and administered CPR. The callous disregard to Mr. Tyson’s pleas underscores the need for an
urgent investigation. At the beginning of the interaction, Mr. Tyson said that the police were going to
kill him. Indeed, Mr. Tyson’s statement came to fruition a short time later.
 The NAACP respectfully requests that the Department of Justice conduct a thorough
investigation immediately. Without federal intervention, the police officers may not be held accountable
for their actions. We seek justice and accountability. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Derrick Johnson
President and CEO