The Rev. Al Sharpton and family members of an Ohio man who died in police custody told mourners at his funeral on Wednesday that they and the community must fight to see that he gets justice.

Sharpton gave the eulogy for Frank Tyson, a 53-year-old East Canton resident, during the service at the Hear The Word Ministries church in Canton. Tyson died April 18 after he was handcuffed and left facedown on the floor of a social club while telling officers he couldn’t breathe.

“You can’t give us Frank back, but you can do justice for this family,” Sharpton said. “This is an assault on all us … stand up for the Franks of this word, because if they can get away with what they did to Frank, they’ll do it to you.”

Tyson’s longtime partner, Sabrina Jones, noted that Tyson had been in prison for many years and was released less than two weeks before he died. She and members of his family had worked over the years on efforts to exonerate Tyson, who had long maintained his innocence.

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“We only had 13 days with him (after his release) before they took his life away,” Jones said during the service, struggling to keep her composure at times. “It’s hard, this is hard. I want justice for Frank.”

Bodycam video released by police shows Tyson resisted while being handcuffed and said repeatedly, “They’re trying to kill me” and “Call the sheriff,” as he was taken to the floor.

Tyson, who was Black, was taken into custody shortly after a vehicle crash that had severed a utility pole. Police body-camera footage showed that after a passing motorist directed officers to the bar, a woman opened the door and said: “Please get him out of here, now.”

Police restrained Tyson — including with a knee on his back — and he immediately told officers he could not breathe. A recent Associated Press investigation found those words — “I can’t breathe” — had been disregarded in other cases of deaths in police custody.

Officers told Tyson he was fine, to calm down and to stop fighting as he was handcuffed facedown with his legs crossed on the carpeted floor. Police were joking with bystanders and leafing through Tyson’s wallet before realizing he was in a medical crisis.

Five minutes after the body-camera footage recorded Tyson saying “I can’t breathe,” one officer asked another if Tyson had calmed down. The other replied, “He might be out.”

The two Canton officers involved, who are white, have been placed on paid administrative leave.

Tyson was released from state prison on April 6 after serving 24 years on a kidnapping and theft case and was almost immediately declared a post-release control supervision violator for failing to report to a parole officer, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation said in a statement last month that its probe will not determine if force was justified and that the prosecuting attorney or a grand jury will decide if charges related to the use of force are warranted.

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On July 17, buckle up for another rollercoaster ride with the Alexander family as season 2 of “UnPrisoned” hits Hulu’s streaming platform with all eight episodes ready to binge-watch.

The Alexanders are far from being the picture-perfect family. With Paige’s therapy practice hanging by a thread, Finn battling crippling anxiety, and Edwin struggling to find his footing post-prison, their relationships are more tangled than ever. Seeking a remedy, they enlist the help of a “family radical healing coach” in a bid to break free from the shackles of their issues, confront old wounds, and unveil family secrets holding them back.

Executive producers Tracy McMillan, Yvette Lee Bowser, and Kerry Washington, along with Pilar Savone, spearhead the project through their Simpson Street production company, joined by Delroy Lindo. Joy Gorman Wettels and Jen Braeden round out the executive producer team. The series is a creation of Onyx Collective, exclusively on Hulu, and is produced by ABC Signature.

Returning to their roles are Kerry Washington as “Paige Alexander,” Delroy Lindo as “Edwin,” Marque Richardson as “Mal,” Faly Rakotohavana as “Finn,” Jordyn McIntosh as “Little Paige,” and Jee Young Han as “Esti.”

The powerhouse lineup of executive producers includes Kerry Washington, Pilar Savone, Delroy Lindo, Tracy McMillan, Yvette Lee Bowser, Joy Gorman Wettels, and Jen Braeden.

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Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.

Like everyone else, I have maintained perfect attendance throughout the Kendrick and Drake beef. 

I’ve been online for every drop, and I have participated in a lot of the discussions about it happening across social media. If you want to know my opinion, Kendrick won.

Kendrick won, but women and victims of grooming, pedophilia and domestic violence, as well as children, lost. They lost, as they always do because hip-hop doesn’t really care about victims in the grand scheme of things. 

I’m not going to bother doing a play-by-play of who said what to who because there is enough of that analysis out there, and you don’t need my help figuring it out. 

Kendrick has accused Drake multiple times of being a deadbeat father and a professional groomer who actively seeks out relationships with young girls and age-inappropriate women. 

Drake has accused Kendrick of beating his wife and playing father to a child who may not actually be his. 

All of these things were said as a means of one-upping each other. None of it was said to raise awareness or get justice for victims. None of it was said as a means of mitigating further harm to anyone. 

We shouldn’t be surprised. After all, hip-hop is famous for its rampant misogyny and flagrant disregard for women. 

Dr Dre infamously beat Dee Barnes 30 years ago in a Hollywood nightclub. The beating became a running joke and a punchline for multiple rappers including Eminem and T.I. As Dee herself said on Twitter this weekend, she has been “reduced to a punchline in a song that made millions … meanwhile, I cannot pay my rent.”

Reduced to a punchline in a song that made millions… meanwhile I CANNOT PAY MY RENT.

— Sista D.Barnes👑✊🏾🔥 (@sistadbarnes) May 4, 2024

Yes, I laughed along with everyone else as Kendrick dragged Drake by the taint hairs, but at some point over the weekend, I sobered up and realized none of this was funny. 

Kendrick writing open letters to Drake’s parents and child(ren) was funny in the moment, but ultimately, what happens when that child (or children?) are old enough to consume this art for themselves and take a deep dive into the meanings behind it?

Kendrick was working to stab Drake as many times as he could, but did he stop to think about the harm that this does to that child (or those children?) as well? 

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Drake brings up domestic violence accusations against Kendrick, but is he doing so because he cares about the safety and wellbeing of Kendrick’s wife, or is he doing it because it helps him in his quest to try and make Kendrick look worse than him?

And honestly, an alleged pedophile and an alleged wife beater are both abusers, so is there truly a way for one to look better than the other? Allegedly? 

Drake making claims that one of Kendrick’s children is not his and was actually fathered by his best friend and former Top Dawg Entertainment President Dave Free is disgusting on many layers. 

First, there’s the layer of him subtly slut-shaming Kendrick’s wife while making the allegation. Even if he didn’t say that part out loud, the implication is that not only did your wife cheat on you, but she had the other man’s baby and got you raising it like you a fool.

I want to ask why raising another man’s baby as your own is such a bad thing, but then I remember I exist in the same timeline where grown-ass men openly criticize Russell Wilson for doing that very thing. 

Still, Drake is “mad” at Kendrick. Why did Kendrick’s wife have to catch a stray? 

Women have always been the punchline and the collateral damage in hip-hop and hip-hop beefs. Think about Faith Evans. 

When Tupac wanted to piss Biggie off, he got on a record and claimed to have slept with Faith, who was married to Biggie at the time. What did Faith do to deserve that?

Every diss Kendrick has put out has accused Drake of being a pedophile and a groomer, and while that “A-minor” bar hit like hell (I have randomly found myself blurting out “A-minorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr unprovoked during the day), is Kendrick trying to help victims or is he simply shaming Drake? 

The current Diddy kerfluffle is showing us in real time that men in hip-hop have long been aware of the abuse women suffer in the culture – sexual and otherwise – and they are willing to turn a blind eye to it until it suits them to speak up. 

In this case, Kendrick and Drake are “speaking up,” but they aren’t “speaking out.”

Everyone is laughing except the women and children being used as bait. 

Everyone is having a good time except the victims. 

Things seem to have died down since Kendrick released “Not Like Us,” and honestly, I hope it stays dead because we can’t keep doing this. 

I challenge Kendrick, Drake and any other man in hip-hop to make a diss track that calls out abusers as a means of preventing further harm to victims.

I encourage Kendrick, Drake and any other man in hip-hop to hold their peers accountable, and by accountable I mean in a way that prevents them from being able to harm others – not in a way that simply gets streams on a diss track. 

I encourage everyone who is part of the culture to examine the way we participate and engage in these things.

Ultimately, the gladiators are fighting because the crowd wants blood. 

The question is, is it the blood of the combatants or the blood of their alleged victims that’s ultimately being spilled? 

---

Monique Judge is a storyteller, content creator and writer living in Los Angeles. She is a word nerd who is a fan of the Oxford comma, spends way too much time on Twitter, and has more graphic t-shirts than you. Follow her on Twitter @thejournalista or check her out at moniquejudge.com.

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Lady Gaga, the iconic singer-songwriter and performer, is set to stun audiences once again with her HBO Original concert special, “GAGA CHROMATICA BALL,” debuting on Saturday, May 25, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO. The electrifying performance, captured during Gaga’s 2022 Chromatica Ball Tour at Los Angeles’s Dodger Stadium, promises to be a career-defining moment for the artist.

In front of a sold-out crowd of 52,000 people, Lady Gaga delivers a powerhouse performance featuring some of her biggest hits, including “Stupid Love,” “Bad Romance,” “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” “Shallow,” and more. The concert special, released exclusively on HBO and available to stream on Max, showcases Gaga’s unparalleled talent and creativity, with breathtaking live performances, heart-stopping choreography, intense pyrotechnics, and an array of iconic outfit changes.

Nina Rosenstein, EVP of HBO Programming, Late Night & Specials, expressed excitement about partnering with Lady Gaga for this extraordinary event, stating, “Lady Gaga is a complete powerhouse. She’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist who never holds back, and GAGA CHROMATICA BALL puts her endless list of talents on full display.”

Lady Gaga’s illustrious career includes 13 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and numerous chart-topping hits. Her most recent album, “Chromatica,” debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, solidifying her status as one of the best-selling musicians of all time. With over 87 million global album sales, 96 billion streams, and 516 million in song consumption, Gaga continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

The concert special, produced, directed, and created by Lady Gaga, features executive producers Bobby Campbell, Arthur Fogel, John Janick, and Steve Berman. It will be available to watch simultaneously on various platforms across the globe, including HBO Max, HBO GO, Crave, Stan, ThreeNow, and more.

Don’t miss this unforgettable experience as Lady Gaga takes center stage in “GAGA CHROMATICA BALL,” showcasing her unparalleled talent, creativity, and boundless energy.

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ATLANTA (AP) — A Georgia appeals court on Wednesday agreed to review a lower court ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to continue to prosecute the election interference case she brought against former President Donald Trump.

Trump and some other defendants in the case had tried to get Willis and her office removed from the case, saying her romantic relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade created a conflict of interest. Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee in March found that no conflict of interest existed that should force Willis off the case, but he granted a request from Trump and the other defendants to seek an appeal of his ruling from the Georgia Court of Appeals.

That intermediate appeals court agreed on Wednesday to take up the case. Once it rules, the losing side could ask the Georgia Supreme Court to consider an appeal.

Trump’s lead attorney in Georgia, Steve Sadow, said in an email that the former president looks forward to presenting arguments to the appeals court as to why the case should be dismissed and why Willis “should be disqualified for her misconduct in this unjustified, unwarranted political persecution.”

A spokesperson for Willis declined to comment on the Court of Appeals decision to take up the matter.

The appeals court’s decision to consider the case seems likely to cause a delay in a case and further reduce the possibility that it will get to trial before the November general election, when Trump is expected to be the Republican nominee for president.

In his order, McAfee said he planned to continue to address other pretrial motions “regardless of whether the petition is granted … and even if any subsequent appeal is expedited by the appellate court.” But Trump and the others could ask the Court of Appeals to stay the case while the appeal is pending.

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McAfee wrote in his order in March that the prosecution was “encumbered by an appearance of impropriety.” He said Willis could remain on the case only if Wade left, and the special prosecutor submitted his resignation hours later.

The allegations that Willis had improperly benefited from her romance with Wade resulted in a tumultuous couple of months in the case as intimate details of Willis and Wade’s personal lives were aired in court in mid-February. The serious charges in one of four criminal cases against the Republican former president were largely overshadowed by the love lives of the prosecutors.

Trump and 18 others were indicted in August, accused of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to illegally try to overturn his narrow 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat Joe Biden in Georgia.

All of the defendants were charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations, or RICO, law, an expansive anti-racketeering statute. Four people charged in the case have pleaded guilty after reaching deals with prosecutors. Trump and the others have pleaded not guilty.

Trump and other defendants had argued in their appeal application that McAfee was wrong not to remove both Willis and Wade, writing that “providing DA Willis with the option to simply remove Wade confounds logic and is contrary to Georgia law.”

The allegations against Willis first surfaced in a motion filed in early January by Ashleigh Merchant, a lawyer for former Trump campaign staffer and onetime White House aide Michael Roman. The motion alleged that Willis and Wade were involved in an inappropriate romantic relationship and that Willis paid Wade large sums for his work and then benefitted when he paid for lavish vacations.

Willis and Wade acknowledged the relationship but said they didn’t begin dating until the spring of 2022, after Wade was hired in November 2021, and their romance ended last summer. They also testified that they split travel costs roughly evenly, with Willis often paying expenses or reimbursing Wade in cash.

The officers seen on video dogpiling on top of Irvo Otieno, a Black man who died during intake at a psychiatric facility, are now free of legal consequences.

Let me put it this way: the same prosecutor’s office who asked to charge the cops and in doing so – described Otieno’s death like that of medieval torture – just dropped the charges against them.

In 2023, Otieno’s mother called the Henrico, Va. police to get him help for a mental crisis. After mistaking him for a robber they were already on the hunt for, the mental evaluation turned into a high-risk arrest. Only after spending a few days in Henrico County jail was Otieno transferred to a psychiatric hospital.

The department alleged while being registered at the facility that Otieno assaulted one of the police officers leading to a scuffle. Seven officers were seen on surveillance restraining Otieno by his arms and legs, pressing him into the floor with the weight of their bodies and armor.

The medical examiner’s office ruled his death a homicide by positional and mechanical asphyxia. Now, after having the vigor to charge all ten deputies who were present, Dinwiddie County Commonwealth prosecutors are declining to charge them at all.

Read more from NBC News:

A judge on Sunday granted Dinwiddie County Commonwealth Attorney Amanda Mann’s motions to withdraw charges against the deputies in the March 6, 2023, death of Irvo Otieno, 28.

Ten people, including seven sheriff’s deputies and three hospital workers, were initially charged with second-degree murder in Otieno’s death, but charges were later dropped against two of the hospital employees. Charges now remain against just two deputies and one hospital employee.

Mann said in a statement Monday that her office had filed motions on Friday to dismiss the charges against deputies Randy Joseph Boyer, Dwayne Alan Bramble, Jermaine Lavar Branch, Bradley Thomas Disse and Tabitha Renee Levere.

They were to be tried separately this year. In her motion, Mann wrote that the order of their trials was of “strategic importance” and that the dates set by her predecessor were not “sound and competent prosecutorial decision making.”

Before this decision, county prosecutor Ann Cabell Baskervill requested all the officers involved be tried together and stressed the ten-minute period Otieno was pressed into the ground. She described it as a tortuous medieval execution method and, of course, compared the nature of his death to that of George Floyd, who also died of asphyxia.

Otieno’s mother, Caroline Ouko, was outraged at the decision, slamming it as reckless, the report says. She also reached out to the Department of Justice for further investigation into the incident.

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Rapper and entrepreneur 50 Cent has initiated legal action against his former partner, Daphne Joy, in response to allegations of defamation. The lawsuit comes after Daphne Joy accused the renowned artist of sexual assault and misconduct, sparking a contentious legal battle between the two.

According to reports from TMZ, legal documents reveal that 50 Cent, whose real name is Curtis Jackson, asserts that Daphne Joy has tarnished his reputation by spreading falsehoods about their past relationship. The allegations surfaced when Daphne Joy took to Instagram to accuse 50 Cent of bullying her and attempting to gain full custody of their son, Sire, amid rumors of her involvement with music mogul Diddy.

The situation escalated further when Daphne Joy was linked to a legal dispute involving Diddy, as she was named in a lawsuit alongside the hip-hop icon, alleging involvement in the sex industry. In response to these developments, 50 Cent filed a petition seeking sole custody of their son, prompting Daphne Joy to address the matter on social media.

In the legal filings, 50 Cent contends that Daphne Joy’s public statements have had detrimental effects on his business endeavors and his efforts to secure custody of their child. Despite attempts to resolve the issue privately, including a formal request for Daphne Joy to retract her accusations and remove the contentious posts, she reportedly refused and allegedly demanded financial compensation, along with a commitment from 50 Cent to drop the custody case.

50 Cent vehemently rejected Daphne Joy’s demands, accusing her of extortion and escalating the dispute to a legal battle. In his lawsuit, the rapper seeks $1 million in damages, as well as a court order mandating the removal of the defamatory statements and prohibiting any further disparaging remarks from Daphne Joy.

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