Milwaukee hotel security workers charged with murder in death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, Black man pinned down outside
Prosecutors charged four Milwaukee hotel employees Tuesday with being a party to felony murder in connection with D'Vontaye Mitchell's death.
According to a criminal complaint, the four employees dragged Mitchell out of the Hyatt Hotel on June 30 after Mitchell entered a woman's bathroom and held him on his stomach for eight or nine minutes. Four people are seen on cellphone video footage holding Mitchell down on the hotel's driveway. They are heard in the video telling Mitchell to "stay down" and "stop fighting."
One of the employees told investigators that Mitchell was having trouble breathing and repeatedly pleaded for help, according to the complaint. Witness Shawn Moore told CBS News he heard screaming from the hotel while walking to a nearby Walgreens to pick up some things for his son.
The county medical examiner ultimately determined that Mitchell died of "restraint asphyxia and toxic effects of cocaine and methamphetamine." He may have lived if the employees allowed him to turn onto his side, the medical examiner said, according to the complaint. An autopsy also showed that Mitchell suffered from morbid obesity, the complaint said.
Relatives of Mitchell and their lawyers had previously reviewed hotel surveillance video provided by the district attorney's office. They described seeing Mitchell being chased inside the hotel by security guards and then dragged outside where he was beaten.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is part of a team of lawyers representing Mitchell's family, has said video recorded by a bystander and circulating on social media shows security guards with their knees on Mitchell's back and neck. He previously said the video shows excessive force was used by security guards to subdue Mitchell. Crump had also questioned why Milwaukee authorities had not yet filed any charges related to Mitchell's death.
"Today marks a significant step towards justice for the family of D'Vontaye Mitchell," Crump said in a statement Tuesday evening. "The evidence, including security footage and witness statements, paints a disturbing picture of a man in distress who was met with excessive and lethal force. The fact that D'Vontaye was held face down on the pavement for eight to nine minutes –– just like George Floyd –– is a sobering reminder of the urgent need for accountability and justice."
Aimbridge Hospitality, the company that manages the hotel, said previously 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," an Aimbridge Hospitality spokesperson told CBS News in a statement Tuesday night. "We have cooperated fully with law enforcement in their investigation into this tragic incident and will continue to cooperate with the district attorney."
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information from the medical examiner and criminal complaint.