Four employees of a Milwaukee hotel were charged on Tuesday with being a party to felony murder in relation to the death of D’Vontaye Mitchell, according to prosecutors.
Mitchell, who was a Black man, has drawn comparisons to the tragic murder of George Floyd. In 2020, Floyd, also a Black man, lost his life when a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes. Floyd’s death ignited a widespread national movement focused on addressing issues of racial inequality and police brutality, which was characterized by numerous protests across the country.
Four individuals have been charged in connection with the incident, including hotel security guard Todd Erickson, front desk worker Devin Johnson-Carson, bellhop Herbert Williamson, and security guard Brandon Turner. In the event of a conviction, each of them could face a maximum sentence of 15 years and nine months in prison.
When contacted over the phone on Tuesday evening, Erickson redirected the request for comment to his attorney, Michael Steinle. Unfortunately, Steinle did not respond to voicemail or email messages.
At the moment, it remains uncertain whether the remaining three employees have legal representation. As of Tuesday evening, there were no records indicating that they did. Unfortunately, efforts to reach Williamson were unsuccessful as his phone line was disconnected. The Associated Press also faced difficulty in locating Johnson-Carson and Turner’s contact information.
According to a recent news release from the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, all four employees have been issued arrest warrants. It’s unclear whether the employees have been arrested or have sought legal representation as both the Milwaukee Police Department and the DA’s office are yet to respond to emails seeking further information.
According to the complaint, Mitchell had consumed cocaine and methamphetamine and was diagnosed with morbid obesity during the autopsy.
A witness captured a video that includes audio of Mitchell moaning and expressing remorse. According to the autopsy report, Mitchell was suffering from morbid obesity and had cocaine and methamphetamine present in his system.
According to the complaint, the medical examiner concluded that Mitchell’s cause of death was “restraint asphyxia.” The employees could have saved his life if they had permitted him to turn onto his side, as indicated by the medical examiner.
According to Erickson’s statement to investigators, Mitchell was incredibly strong and continuously resisted their efforts while attempting to bite him. However, the guard maintains that he never intended to cause any harm to Mitchell.
According to the complaint, Turner informed the detective that he heard women screaming from the bathroom right after Mitchell had entered it. He suspected that Mitchell was under the influence of drugs. As the group restrained Mitchell, Turner recalled that he removed Mitchell’s clothing from his face at one point.
According to the complaint, Johnson-Carson informed investigators that Mitchell wasn’t in a stable state of mind and was speaking incomprehensibly.
According to the complaint, it is evident that the employees were aware of Mitchell’s distress. The gasping, actions, and words of DM, along with the distress that he displayed, make it clear that all four Defendants were aware that holding him face first on the ground would undoubtedly cause impairment of his physical condition.
According to Mitchell’s relatives and their lawyers, they had already examined the hotel surveillance footage given by the district attorney’s office. They recounted observing Mitchell as he was pursued by security guards inside the hotel and subsequently dragged outside, where he was subjected to physical assault.
Mitchell’s family is being represented by a team of lawyers, including civil rights attorney Ben Crump. According to Crump, video footage taken by a bystander and shared on social media depicts security guards holding Mitchell down with their knees on his back and neck.
On Tuesday evening, Crump expressed his belief that justice for the family of D’Vontaye Mitchell has taken a significant step forward, as he posted a statement on X regarding the charges.
On Tuesday, DeAsia Harmon, the widow of Mitchell, expressed her relief regarding the decision. However, she raised concerns about the length of time it took to reach this decision.
She expressed her frustration by stating, “My husband’s killers were captured on camera. They should have been charged immediately after taking his life.”
Several employees who were involved in Mitchell’s death have been dismissed, according to Aimbridge Hospitality, the company responsible for managing the hotel.
On Tuesday evening, the company issued a statement stating that it had fully cooperated with law enforcement and will continue to do so with the prosecutors. The statement expressed condolences to Mr. Mitchell’s family and loved ones and stated that the company will be supportive as the case progresses.
