Four Milwaukee hotel employees have been charged in connection with the death of D’Vontaye Mitchell.
Among those charged by prosecutors are hotel security guard Todd Erickson, front desk worker Devin Johnson-Carson, Herbert Williamson, a bellhop, and security guard Brandon Turner. It is not clear if the four individuals have attorneys, but according to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, arrest warrants were issued for the employees, NBC News reports.
In a criminal complaint, all four of the Milwaukee hotel employees have been accused of dragging Mitchell out of the Hyatt Hotel on June 30.
The incident occurred after Mitchell entered a women’s restroom and was held on his stomach for roughly nine minutes by the employees. According to one of the employees, Mitchell repeatedly begged for help and could be seen struggling to breathe.
An official autopsy revealed that Mitchell suffered from morbid obesity and had ingested cocaine and methamphetamine at the time of his death. Moreover, the county medical examiner confirmed that he died of “restraint asphyxia,” and had he been turned on his side during the incident with the employees, he may have lived.
Mitchell, a Black man, has been likened to George Floyd, who died similarly in 2020 after he was pinned to the ground by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin despite screaming out “I can’t breathe” several times.
Per the court documents, surveillance video pulled from the hotel shows a frantic Mitchell entering the hotel lobby and a gift shop before entering the women’s bathroom. Within seconds, Turner, who was off-duty but visiting staff, is seen dragging Mitchell out of the bathroom by his shirt. As they struggle, Turner is then seen punching Mitchell and knocking him to the ground before punching him six times and dragging him out of the hotel with the help of a bystander.
Once Mitchell tried to reenter the hotel, Williamson, Johnson-Carson, and Erickson, the security manager working at the time, joined the group. Turner and Mitchell can be seen holding Mitchell down on his stomach for about eight to nine minutes before authorities and first responders arrived on the scene. Mitchell can be seen attempting to break free several times. However, once Erickson hits him with a baton, as seen in the video footage, he stops moving.
According to Erickson, Mitchell was strong, and in addition to resisting them, he attempted to bite them. He stands firm in saying that he never intended to hurt or harm Mitchell.
“All of these facts, the gasping, the actions and words of DM, the distress that he was in, show that all four Defendants were aware that holding DM face first on the ground was ‘practically certain’ to cause impairment of his physical condition,” read the complaint.
At this time, civil rights attorney Ben Crump is a part of the team of lawyers representing Mitchell’s family. He says that a video making its way around social media, recorded by a bystander, shows the security guards placing their knees into both Mitchell’s neck and back.
Mitchell’s wife questions why it took so long for charges to be brought in connection to her husband’s death.
“These people are on camera taking my husband’s life,” said DeAsia Harmon. “They should have been charged the moment they did that.”
At this time, Aimbridge Hotel, the company responsible for managing the Hyatt hotel, says that several employees involved in Mitchell’s death have been fired.
“Our hearts are with Mr. Mitchell’s family and loved ones as this case moves forward,” said the company in a statement released Tuesday (August 6) evening.
All four hotel employees could face up to 15 years and nine months in prison if convicted.
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