Two Canton police officers on Monday pleaded guilty to lesser charges in the 2024 death of an East Canton man.
Officer Beau Schoenegge pleaded guilty to dereliction of duty, and officer Camden Burch pleaded guilty to failure to report a crime in the April 2024 death of Frank Tyson. Both officers had been facing one count of reckless homicide with their jury trials scheduled to begin Monday in Stark County Common Pleas Court.
Both officers also agreed to resign from the Canton Police Department effective immediately.
Tyson, 53, was fleeing from a crash on Canton's East Side when Schoenegge and Burch located him at an AMVETS building on Sherrick Road, according to a news release from Canton police. Officers alleged Tyson resisted arrest, leading to a struggle.
Bodycam footage showed that Tyson began yelling, “Call the sheriff” and "They’re going to kill me" as officers entered the building.
Officers struggled to get Tyson to the ground as he repeatedly yelled that he couldn’t breathe. One officer eventually put his knee on Tyson’s back.
“You’re fine. Shut the (expletive) up,” one of the officers was heard saying in the body camera footage.
Footage also showed Tyson motionless on the ground for seven minutes before officers began administering CPR. Officers gave him Narcan, which is used to reverse overdoses, before paramedics arrived, according to the news release. Tyson was transported to Aultman Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy ruled Tyson's death a homicide.
Schoenegge and Burch were placed on paid administrative leave following the incident. They're scheduled for sentencing at a later date following a judge-ordered pre-sentence investigation.
Schoenegge faces up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine and Burch faces up to 30 days in jail and a $250 fine.
