Black Man’s Death Investigated After Encounter with Hotel SecurityBlack Man’s Death Investigated After Encounter with Hotel Security Dvontaye Mitchell, 43, passed away on June 30 following an incident at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee. According to police, Mitchell caused a disturbance, prompting security guards to escort him out of the hotel. A video circulating on social media shows Mitchell being pinned to the ground by four guards. Mitchell pleads with them, saying “please” and “I’m sorry.” One guard, who appears to be White, tells Mitchell to “stay down” and “stop fighting.” When officers arrived, Mitchell was unresponsive and pronounced dead. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled his death a homicide, but further investigation is needed to determine the exact cause. The security guards involved have been suspended, and the incident is under investigation. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office says no timeline for a charging decision has been set. Mitchell’s family, represented by attorney Ben Crump, believe the incident should be treated as a criminal investigation. They are calling for accountability and justice. Mitchell’s family and friends described him as a happy, outgoing person who loved his family. They are struggling to come to terms with his death and are calling for answers. Witnesses to the incident have expressed regret for not doing more to intervene. They say Mitchell was suffering from mental health issues and should not have been treated with such force. The incident highlights the ongoing issue of excessive force used against people of color by police and others in positions of authority.
A black man died after being pushed to the ground by security guards at a Milwaukee hotel. Now his family wants answers
Dvontaye Mitchell, 43, was at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee on June 30, where police said he caused a “public disturbance” that prompted security officers to escort him from the hotel. a statement said Ben Crump, attorney for the Mitchell family.
Part of a video posted to social media shows four guards pinning Mitchell to the ground. In the video, Mitchell can be heard growling and pleading with the guards, repeatedly saying “please” and “I’m sorry.”
One of the guards, who appears to be White, can be heard saying “stay down” and “stop fighting,” while the others, who appear to be people of color, hold Mitchell down. The same guard can be heard shouting to witnesses, “This is what happens when you go into the ladies’ room.”
It is unclear what led up to Mitchell’s encounter with the security guards, how long it took for the police officers to arrive on the scene, and what Mitchell was doing in the hotel.
When officers arrived on the scene, Mitchell was unresponsive and was pronounced dead despite life-saving measures, Milwaukee police told CNN on Tuesday, without naming Mitchell.
According to Karen Domagalski of the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, Mitchell’s preliminary cause of death is homicide, but a definitive cause of death has yet to be determined.
“The cause and manner of death are pending toxicology and further investigation,” Domagalski said. “We do not have a timeline for when this case will be concluded.”
The meeting comes as the use the power – special against people of color – remains under surveillance by police and others in positions of authority for almost four years after the law came into effect protests erupted across the country after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
Now, every time Mitchell’s children turn on the television, they are reminded of how their father died, DeAsia Harmon, Mitchell’s widow, told a CNN affiliate WTMJ on Monday.
“We couldn’t even take my daughter to the grocery store without her being scared of the security that was at the door,” Harmon said. “She said, ‘Is all security bad or is it just the ones that killed my dad?’”
The security guards involved in the incident have been suspended. Aimbridge Hospitality, which operates the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee downtown, is still completing its investigation, a Hyatt spokesperson told CNN Monday.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of Dvontaye Mitchell, all who knew and loved him, and the Milwaukee community in light of this tragedy,” the spokesperson said. “As the investigation continues, Hyatt is fully committed to supporting efforts to ensure accountability for the circumstances that led to Dvontaye Mitchell’s death.”
According to Crump, Milwaukee police are not considering the incident a criminal investigation because there is no evidence of “brutal force.”
“It is unacceptable that this case is not being treated as a criminal investigation despite the fatal outcome, which the coroner ruled a homicide,” Crump said.
The case remains under investigation and there is currently no timeline for a charging decision, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office told CNN on Tuesday.
‘To know Him is to love Him’
Mitchell’s mother, Brenda Giles, said her eldest son was a happy, outgoing brother, uncle and father who loved his family, she said. WTMJ.
“Anyone who knows him, knows him, loves him, they know,” his sister, Nayisha Mitchell, told the station. “They knew he was a good person.”
When Mitchell’s father died in 2016, Mitchell fell into a depression, his family told WTMJ. Giles believes her son was suffering from a mental illness at the time of the incident, according to Crump.
Shawn Moore, a witness who recorded portions of the interaction, said WTMJ He wished he had done more.
“What I ended up capturing was another black man in Milwaukee who was struggling with mental health issues and lost his life for nothing,” he said.
Family and friends held a vigil for Mitchell outside the Hyatt Regency in downtown last weekend, expressing similar sentiments and calls for justice.
CNN’s Sara Smart and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
- The Mitchell family, as well as their friends and community, have been deeply affected by the incident. They are often reminded of Dvontaye’s death when they watch the news or visit public places, especially when they encounter security personnel.
- Regardless of the ongoing investigation and decisions yet to be made, the Mitchell family, including Dvontaye’s children and siblings, remain confident in the good character of their loved one. They fondly remember him as a cheerful, outgoing and loving person.
