TOLEDO, Ohio — Meeting at the Fredrick Douglass Community Center, two former officers and a community leader watched the body-worn camera video of Frank E. Tyson's arrest and death in Canton police custody.
Maurice Morris, a former Toledo police officer of 20 years; Albert Earl, a former juvenile corrections officer; and Frederick Douglass Community Center Executive Director Reggie Williams shared their thoughts with WTOL 11.
After seeing the video, they called for better police training, awareness of de-escalation and for officers to recognize the humanity in all people. They said this was an issue of racial bias, a failure in police training.
"We're tired. We're tired. We're tired. We're sick and tired of being sick and tired," Morris said. "We're tired, this can't continue to happen."
Having served on the force for 20 years, Morris said he's vehemently against bad policing. He said those officers handling Tyson's arrest did not do the right thing.
If anything, he said, the police footage showed a decades-long issue within police departments.
"We have to talk about trauma that law enforcement has had on the (Black) community and continues to have," Morris said.
Neither Williams nor Earl had heard about Tyson's death or seen the video before they watched it together, experiencing a range of emotions.
Williams remarked that once again, this was called back to "another George Floyd."
At one point during the conversation, Earl was at a loss for words.
"It's so many, it's so much wrong with that I, man," Earl said. "I'm so sick of this stuff."
These community leaders said they wholeheartedly understand police have a job to do.
However, in serving the community, the job comes with the responsibility of treating everyone with humanity, approaching situations with level calm headedness and avoiding aggressive tactics. Williams says the officer's use of a knee on Tyson's back was inhumane.
"(The officer) had his knee on his back," Williams said. "Then he moves to his neck and you can hear the gargle in his voice. The pressure being applied to his neck, where he says 'I can't breathe.'"
The men dismiss portraying the incident as just a "Black victim/white cop" issue. They said it's all about assessing the whole situation.
Each leader called for change, but noted there needs to be actual action behind the call, too.
Morris questioned if police in the area would be willing to take those actionable steps now before something happens here.
"But they're unable or wanting to change," Morris said. "As a community of people, we are tired."
Former officers Morris and Earl, and Williams, began talking of plans to head to Canton to speak with Tyson's family and give them words of support and encouragement after the tragic loss.