Video shows Dvontaye Mitchell, 43, being pinned to the ground by multiple guards outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Milwaukee; he was pronounced dead a short time later. The area where police said the fight took place can be seen in a 2022 Google Maps image.
Google Maps/NPR screenshot
hide title
Switch title
Google Maps/NPR screenshot
More than a week after Mitchell, a Black man, died in the custody of security at the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Milwaukee, the family of DeVontaille Mitchell wants answers and accountability for his death. The video shows that 43-year-old Mitchell was pinned to the ground by multiple people before his death.
Ben Crump, an attorney representing Mitchell’s family, said the case raises questions about the use of force and how security personnel respond to mental health emergencies.
In the video from the scene, Mitchell can be heard yelling “Please!” as the guard grabbed him and yelled at him: “Get down! Stop fighting!”
When police arrived, they found Mitchell unresponsive.
Crump said in a statement to NPR: “The circumstances of De Fontailer’s death outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel are disturbing and, as witnesses described, were reminiscent of George Floyd. De was killed. Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis in 2020 when a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes. The officer, Derek Chauvin, was eventually convicted of murder. Floyd was found guilty.
Here’s what we know about Mitchell’s death:
Mitchell died on June 30
Mitchell died sometime after 3 p.m. after a fight with security outside the entrance to the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 333 West Kilbourne Avenue, according to the Milwaukee Police Department.
“A witness reported seeing three to four security guards with their knees on Mitchell’s neck and back, and one of them hitting him in the head with an object,” Crump’s office said.
Video posted online appeared to show Mitchell appearing to be pinned face down on the pavement as a group of security guards apparently used their body weight against him.
There are few details about what happened
“A person entered a business and caused a disturbance. Police said in response to NPR’s request for information on the circumstances surrounding Mitchell’s death that the person engaged in a confrontation with security while escorting the person out.
“Security detained the individual until police arrived. Upon arrival, the 43-year-old man was unresponsive and despite life-saving measures, was pronounced dead.
Witnesses told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the struggle lasted 10 minutes or more; they also said they heard someone comment on Mitchell trying to enter the women’s restroom inside the hotel.
Investigators are treating the death as a homicide
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office is treating Mitchell’s death as a homicide, “but the final approach [of death] It’s not determined yet,” Karen Domagalski, the office’s operations manager, told NPR.
An autopsy was performed on Mitchell and “the cause of death is subject to toxicology and further investigation,” she said.
“Our office is reviewing Mr. Mitchell’s death as a homicide,” the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office told NPR.
“Mr. Mitchell’s death is a tragedy, and our deepest condolences go out to his family,” District Attorney John Chisholm said in a statement.
On Wednesday, staff from the prosecutor’s office gave an update on the investigation to William Sulton, another attorney representing Mitchell’s family. During that meeting, Sulton was shown film footage and other evidence relevant to the investigation, the prosecutor’s office said.
Police said they were still investigating
“The cause of death is under investigation. The investigation is ongoing,” police said, adding that the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office would review its investigation.
The security guard has been suspended
A spokesperson for the Hyatt Hotel told NPR that the security guard involved in the incident has been placed on administrative leave.
The Hyatt Regency Milwaukee Downtown is a franchise hotel operated by Texas-based Aimbridge Hospitality. A Hyatt spokesman said the two companies are investigating Mitchell’s death. The pair also expressed their condolences to Mitchell’s family and loved ones.
“Hyatt is conducting its own investigation and is fully committed to supporting efforts to ensure accountability,” a Hyatt representative said, adding that the company requires franchisees to meet “mandatory safety and security standards.”
“We will continue to do everything we can to support law enforcement in their ongoing investigation into this incident,” an Aimbridge spokesperson told NPR.
