4 Charged in Murder Likened to George Floyd's

Four men have been charged with felony murder in the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, a Black man who was beaten and pinned to the ground outside a Milwaukee hotel in June. Mitchell's immediate cause of death was "restraint asphyxia and toxic effects of cocaine and methamphetamine," the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's office said last week, per the AP, ruling the death a homicide. Mitchell, 43, suffocated while being restrained outside the Hyatt Regency on June 30. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump has compared his death to that of George Floyd, who died after being pinned to the ground by a police officer in Minneapolis in 2020. The officer, Derek Chauvin, is now serving more than 20 years in prison for murder.

Police said a man "caused a disturbance" at the hotel, then "fought with security guards as they were escorting" him out, per NBC News. Four hotel employees held Mitchell face down on the ground until police arrived around 4:30pm, at which point Mitchell wasn't breathing. Police said Mitchell was beaten and held for eight to nine minutes. He struggled early on, but then "stopped showing movement or resistance or other signs of life," police said. Arrest warrants have been issued for security manager Todd Alan Erickson, front desk agent Devin W. Johnson-Carson, security guard Brandon LaDaniel Turner, and bellman Herbert T. Williamson, per CNN. Williamson has claimed he only did what hotel management told him to do, per WTMJ.

Turner punched Mitchell at least half a dozen times, including while Mitchell was on his knees, court documents state, per CNN. Johnson-Carson punched him once and Erickson kicked him in the torso, per the documents. Johnson-Carson allegedly told police he heard Mitchell say "stop" and "why" and something related to breathing. Police said Mitchell was gasping and repeatedly saying "please" and "I'm sorry." He'd appeared frantic inside the hotel, was observed hiding behind objects and entering a women's bathroom, but never showed "any obviously aggressive or threatening behavior," per the complaint. Crump said the case "underscores the critical need for comprehensive training and oversight of security personnel to ensure that they are equipped to handle situations without resorting to excessive force." (More murder stories.)