Quisi Bryan was born on October 2, 1970. He grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.

On June 25, 2000, Quisi Bryan was pulled over by police officer Wayne Leon for a traffic violation. This incident occurred at a gas station located in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. During the stop, Bryan shot Leon in the face, killing him instantly.

Bryan was later found guilty of the murder of Officer Leon and was sentenced to death. In 2015, his defense team appealed this conviction, arguing that the prosecutors had excluded a potential juror based on race. The initial appeal succeeded, leading to a judge overturning Bryan's conviction. However, in December 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed this decision, stating that the original trial judge's finding should stand. The United States Supreme Court ultimately declined to intervene.

Bryan's execution was initially set for October 26, 2022. However, it was postponed to January 7, 2026.

In addition to his conviction for murder, Bryan also faced charges for several sexual assaults that took place before the murder. In 2007, he pleaded guilty to these assaults and was given a sentence of up to 48 years in prison. After a ruling by the Ohio Supreme Court in 2017, Bryan was resentenced to 22 years for these crimes.

Another significant case against Bryan occurred in 2014 when he was convicted of raping and kidnapping a woman in March 1994. The incident came to light after DNA testing of a rape kit matched Bryan's DNA. The victim testified that she was taken at knife point and assaulted. Bryan received a maximum sentence of 50 years for this conviction.