Shocking video captured the moment four security guards pinned down a man outside a downtown Milwaukee hotel, ultimately leading to his death.
Dvontaye Mitchell, 43, was pronounced dead around 4 p.m. on June 30 outside the Hyatt Regency hotel, where security guards were seen trying to restrain him as he called for help.
At least one of the guards appeared to be kneeling on Mitchell’s back, while another was seen holding his head. The other two were seen holding his legs and arms.
The guard holding his head also appeared to hit Mitchell with an unidentified object several times and yelled at him: “Stay down! Stop fighting!”
But Mitchell could be heard grunting and screaming: “Please help! Please! I’m sorry.”
Shocking video shows four security guards restraining a man outside a Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Milwaukee
When one of the guards finally realizes he’s being filmed, he says, “This is what happens when you walk into the women’s bathroom!”
When the guard holding her head finally notices a bystander filming him, he says, “This is what happens when you walk into the women’s bathroom!”
Police said Mitchell entered the hotel that afternoon and caused a disturbance. They did not specify what happened, but witnesses said he locked himself in a bathroom with a woman. Fox 6 Now reports.
He then allegedly fought with security guards as they escorted him out, and the guards detained him until police arrived at the scene.
But when authorities finally arrived at the hotel, they found Mitchell unconscious and, after performing life-saving measures, pronounced him dead at the scene. NBC News report.
Mitchell’s mother said she was later shocked when she saw the injuries on her son’s body.
“It looked like he had been hit on the side of his face,” Brenda Giles said. he told WTMJ.
‘Everything here was swollen.’
Dvontaye Mitchell, 43, was pronounced dead at the hotel scene on June 30.
Giles has since suggested her son was suffering from a mental health episode and is calling for justice with the help of famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who called Mitchell’s death “disturbing” and “reminiscent of the murder of George Floyd.”
“Everyone in America after George Floyd should have trained their employees and security personnel not to put their knees on people’s backs and necks,” Crump, who previously represented Floyd’s family, said at a news conference Monday.
“And when people have trouble breathing, don’t keep them face down.”
The lawyer went on to blame the use of “excessive force” by security guards for the death of an “unarmed man,” and called for a “thorough and transparent investigation” into their actions.
Mitchell leaves behind a wife, daughter and son
His family is now demanding criminal charges be brought against the security guards and has called for more transparency in the investigation.
Mitchell’s grieving family is also demanding criminal charges be brought against the security guards and has called for more transparency, asking for security footage from inside the hotel to be released. according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
They say Mitchell leaves behind a wife, daughter and son.
“My son was murdered,” Giles told WTMJ, adding that his “frustration lies” with the security guards.
“No one has been charged in this case,” he said. “They are trying to sweep it under the carpet and we are not letting it go.”
Milwaukee police have said their homicide unit is investigating Mitchell’s death, but have not yet determined whether the case is criminal in nature.
The death is also being investigated by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
Renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump compared Mitchell’s death to that of George Floyd
But in the meantime, Hyatt has said all security guards involved have been suspended while an outside investigator investigates their actions.
“We are working quickly with the hotel’s third-party operator, Aimbridge Hospitality, to understand the full scope of what occurred,” a spokesperson for the hotel chain told NBC News.
‘We understand that Aimbridge Hospitality is conducting a thorough investigation and has suspended the employees involved in the incident.’
The spokesperson also noted that the hotel is cooperating with police and said: “We extend our deepest condolences to all those who knew and loved Mr. Mitchell.”
A spokesman for Aimbridge Hospitality also said it offers “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,” the spokesperson told WTMJ.
“We remain committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all hotel guests and associates,” the spokesperson added.
Still, Crump said he wants to keep Mitchell’s death in the spotlight as tens of thousands of people descend on Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention next week.
He noted that the hotel where Mitchell was killed is directly across the street from the Baird Center, one of the main venues for the high-profile event.
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