A black man died after being pinned down by
security guards
outside a
Milwaukee hotel
, an incident drawing comparisons to
George Floyd
's death, according to his family. D’Vontaye Mitchell was pronounced dead on June 30 after guards held him down during a struggle captured on video, New York Post reported.
Police
are investigating his death as a homicide, saying Mitchell caused a disturbance inside the Hyatt Regency before a confrontation with guards trying to remove him.
However, Mitchell's family after viewing hotel surveillance claimed guards chased and dragged him outside, leading to his fatal restraint, and are calling for criminal charges.
DeAsia Harmon, Mitchell's widow, expressed deep distress during a news conference, describing the surveillance footage of her late husband's ordeal as "disgusting." “He ran for his life. He was trying to leave. He said, ‘I’ll go,’ and they didn’t let him go.”
Multiple witness videos, according to Mitchell's family and their legal representatives, depict him bleeding and begging while being restrained on the ground, the report said.
Renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Mitchell's family, highlighted footage showing guards kneeling on Mitchell's back and neck, pulling his shirt over his head, potentially obstructing his breathing. Crump also mentioned an affidavit from a hotel staff member alleging that a guard struck Mitchell with a baton and ordered other employees to assist in restraining him.
“The conduct we saw from several associates on June 30 violated our policies and procedures, and does not reflect our values as an organization or the behaviors we expect from our associates,” the spokesperson of Aimbridge Hospitality, which manages the Hyatt Regency said extending condolences.
“Following review of their actions, their employment has been terminated. We will continue our independent investigation and do everything we can to support law enforcement with their investigation into this tragic incident.”
English (US) ·