Outside Hyatt where Mitchell died, family and attorney Ben Crump call for justice

Civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump stood Monday outside the Hyatt Regency, where a Milwaukee man died after being held face down by hotel security guards, calling for charges and saying the man's death would not be "swept under the rug" in the week before thousands descend on the city for the Republican National Convention.

"Everybody in America after George Floyd should have trained their employees and security personnel to not put knees on people's backs and necks," Crump told dozens of people gathered outside the Hyatt during a press conference. "And when people are having problems breathing, don't keep them in a prone position."

D'Vontaye Mitchell, 43, died around 4 p.m. June 30 after allegedly entering the women's bathroom at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourne Ave. Crump said Mitchell was having a mental health crisis.

Crump said the "excessive force" used by the four security guards led to the death of an "unarmed man," adding Mitchell asked for guards to stop kneeling on him by saying "please" six times and saying "I'm sorry," twice, according to videos reviewed of Mitchell's death.

Crump and Milwaukee-based attorneys Will Sulton and B'Ivory Lamarr are representing members of Mitchell's family, including his wife DeAsia Harmon and their 8-year-old daughter, his former girlfriend Lueella Jackson and their 6-year-old son Logan Jackson.

Standing with Jackson, Harmon said that their "children deserve justice for their father."

"Our children deserve more. They took everything from them," she said. "We stand together on this. They want us to bicker and want us to fight. We stand together. We have no choice but to stand together."

Throughout the press conference, the attorneys and family members said they wanted charges filed against the security guards; called for more transparency, seeking for surveillance footage to be released; and underscored the impact of Mitchell's death on the family.

"They have no respect for us as a people," Harmon said in reference to Black men and women. "They treated him like he was worthless, an animal."

Mitchell's mother, Brenda Giles, said that she was "numb" and unable to cry more than she had already since Mitchell's death.

Giles said she wanted justice for her son, who she said worked at Metro Market and found it peaceful to walk downtown for lengthy periods. Family members and community members have been regularly at her house since June 30 in support, bringing food at times, she said.

"I just want justice for my son, and I want it now. Right now, not later," Giles said. "Give us those videos. Y'all know what went on inside the hotel. Y'all saw it, but we can't see it. Make that make sense."

The Hyatt is across the street from the Baird Center, one of three key venues for the July 15-18 Republican National Convention, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people to the city. Crump said that he wanted to keep Mitchell's death in the spotlight during the high-profile event.

"I know the national media is going to be coming and covering a lot of stuff related to the convention," Crump said. "A major part of the narrative needs to be justice and ... justice in Milwaukee for D'Vontaye Mitchell."

Crump and others said the incident underscored different standards in policing and in the justice system. He suggested Mitchell's name would have been released immediately if the roles were reversed.

"We got two justice systems in America," Crump said. "One for Black American and one for white America."

Crump said the attorneys are considering filing a public records lawsuit in an effort to get footage of the incident.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner and Milwaukee police were called to the scene on the day of Mitchell's death. The medical examiner's office determined Mitchell's preliminary cause of death to be homicide. The Milwaukee Police Department said in a statement Monday that it is still investigating Mitchell's death and it is not a criminal investigation at this time.

Attorney Sulton said that this was his fourth case in the last 18 months that involved private security. He criticized the pace of the police and district attorney investigation.

"We have people who are charged in 24, 48, 72-hour intervals. You're telling me that something that is on video, you can't make a decision about?" Sulton, who is also president of ACLU Wisconsin, said. "That is wrong folks and that it is painful."

Aimbridge Hospitality is the Hyatt's third-party operator. It is conducting a full investigation and has suspended the employees involved in the incident, according to a statement from Hyatt corporate communications last week.

"We offer our sincere condolences to Mr. Mitchell's family and loved ones. We continue to do everything we can to support law enforcement's ongoing investigation into this incident and have no further comment at this time," Aimbridge said in a statement. "We remain committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all hotel guests and associates."

Jessica Van Egeren is a general assignment reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at jvanegeren@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Outside Hyatt where Mitchell died, family and attorney Ben Crump call for justice