Rev. Al Sharpton eulogy for Frank Tyson: 'You can give justice to his family.'

• Rev. Al Sharpton eulogizes Frank E. Tyson: "Frank mattered to us, his life had value to us."
• Civil rights icon speaks about man who died in police custody, calls for justice for his family.
• Ruling on cause of death, investigation into incident, are pending.

CANTON ‒ The Rev. Al Sharpton brought emotional, spiritual and material support to the family of Frank E. Tyson when he delivered the eulogy Wednesday at the 53-year-old Tyson's funeral.

The civil rights leader said he is going to give the Tyson family a $10,000 check for funeral expenses.

"I hope the family sues the city, gets a zillion dollars, you don't owe me nothing back," Sharpton told those who assembled for the celebration of Tyson's life at Hear The Word Ministries church.

Tyson died April 18 while being arrested by Canton police just weeks after his release from state prison.

Tyson family attorney Bobby DiCello, civil rights attorney Ben Crump and civil rights activists also called for justice during the midday service.

In a funeral that included impassioned vocal and instrumental music, preaching, Scripture readings and personal remembrances, more than 100 people gathered to hear the messages and remember Tyson in the light-filled church on the city's northwest side.

The Rev. Al Sharpton remembers Frank Tyson during Canton visit

Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, compared Tyson's 24-year sentence for kidnapping and other crimes to the acts of the two officers who arrested him. He said the Canton Township resident served his time for the crime he, his family and their lawyers claim he did not commit.

"Well, if you made Frank pay for something his family say he didn't do, we come to tell you those two police need to pay for what we know they did," Sharpton said.

According to investigators, Tyson crashed a car into a utility pole, then went to the nearby AMVETS Post 124 on Sherrick Road SE. Law enforcement was called by those inside the private club, who complained about his behavior and wanted Tyson removed.

Police arrested him after a short struggle and placed him face down on the floor with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Tyson said several times: "I can't breathe."

One of the officers responded, “Shut the (expletive) up."

Less than a minute after the officers handcuffed him, he went silent.

The officers left Tyson on the floor face down for nearly 8 minutes before the officer who handcuffed Tyson realized he couldn't feel a pulse.

Canton and Stark County authorities have not yet announced a cause of death for Tyson. The officers involved in the arrest have been placed on administrative leave while the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigates.

The national and Stark County NAACP organizations have called on the U.S. Department of Justice to come to Canton to investigate Tyson's death.

Al Sharpton to Canton: 'Do what is right.'

"The challenge is on this city to do what is right," Sharpton said. "You can't give us Frank back. But you can give justice to his family.

"You don't tell me about Frank's background. You should have checked the cops' background."

He referred to an incident in the city personnel file of Camden Burch, one of two officers involved in Tyson's arrest. Burch was reportedly fired from Target for theft before he became a police officer but apparently failed to disclose that information when applying for a position within the department.

"If he got the job under false pretenses, how are you going to let him now tell you the truth about what happened with Frank, when he lied to get a job in the first place?" Sharpton said.

"Tell it, tell it," one woman shouted amid applause that followed Sharpton's question.

He referred to the city's role as the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"If you can't do justice for Frank, you will be the Hall of Shame around this country," Sharpton said. "An unarmed man ... knee on his back. What does that say to everyone in here, that you can do this to others? You see us all as expendable. And we come to tell you that Frank mattered to us, his life had value to us."

Sharpton said police had procedures they should have followed. Activists have complained the officers should have tried to de-escalate the situation before arresting Tyson.

"Show me in your procedure manual where you put your knee on a man's back. Show me in the manual where, when he begs for his life, you tell him to shut the F up. Show me in your manual, in your procedures, how you make the man lay there, and after he's limp, wait minutes before they come to help," Sharpton said. "Is your training just a prop, or is your training something enforceable?"

Sharpton said "bad cops" who break the law "need to go to jail."

Also speaking at the service were members of Tyson's family and others affected by police use-of-force.

John Tyson said he always thought of his older brother as his protector. He said his brother told police "I can't breathe" repeatedly. Another brother, Melvin, also spoke and read the poem, "Remember Me."

Tiffany Rachal came from Texas to offer her condolences to the Tyson family. Her son, Jalen Randle, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by Houston police on April 27, 2022.

"God is our strength. He is our solace," she said before giving a vocal performance that brought the audience to tears.

Crump introduced other family members of people who died in police custody. They included Michael Brown Sr., whose son Michael Brown Jr. was fatally shot by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014. Also present was Selwyn Jones, the uncle of George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis police on May 25, 2020. 

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.