Two Canton police officers charged with the death of Frank Tyson have pled not guilty to the charges.
A grand jury indicted officers Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch with reckless homicide, which is a third-degree felony.
The officers decided to waive their right to an appearance and the indictment being read.
Earlier this week, Judge Kristin Farmer set a bond of $25,000 each for the two officers accused in the death of Tyson, which both officers later posted and were released.
RELATED: 2 Canton officers indicted in Frank Tyson's death post $25,000 bond
Their next pretrial hearing is set for Nov. 21.
What happened?
On the night of April 18, Tyson died after being arrested by the two Canton officers.
The interaction between Tyson and police started when officers responded to a car crash.
Officers found a power pole taken out and a car off the side of the road with a blown airbag.
RELATED: Man dies while in custody of Canton Police following crash
Witnesses told officers Tyson ran into a bar. Canton police body camera video showed police going hands-on when Tyson knocked over a chair.
The video showed a struggle as police took Tyson to the floor, and seconds later, an officer placed a knee on Tyson’s back.
Tyson told officers he couldn’t breathe seven times. Seven minutes passed from when Tyson was handcuffed to when officers realized something was wrong.
The officers began doing chest compressions and administering naloxone. Tyson was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
In August, Tyson's death was ruled a homicide.
Reaction
During a press conference last week, attorney Bobby DiCello said the indictment of the officers is a step toward getting justice.
“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,” DiCello said. “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 was with a group of people who had experienced police violence, including family members of Tyson's.
“I was always thinking there was gonna be a win in this situation; I mean, we’ve been praying on it as a family; people have been praying for us as a family,” John Tyson, Frank's brother, said. “It’s not the win we was looking for, but still, just like the indictment was unexpected, and we’re gonna take this small win and build upon it and just go to the next stage and phases.”
The community also showed their support during the press conference, calling it a day of celebration.
"A lot of good people in this community put their differences aside to try to work together to keep his name alive, because we don't want our family members to be next," said Whillamina Jackson.
Last week, Canton Mayor William Sherer released the following statement regarding the officers' indictment:
“I am aware and acknowledge the indictments of Officers Beau Schoenegge and Camden Burch brought forth by the Stark County Prosecutor for the case surrounding the death of Frank Tyson. While I remain committed to transparency during times like these, given this is a pending case, I am limited on the information we can provide at this time.”
