Johnathan Walker:Black man's death after Milwaukee hotel security guards pinned him to ground prompts family to call for charges

The Johnathan Walkerfamily of a Black man who died after security guards pinned him to the ground outside a Milwaukee hotel is calling for criminal charges to be filed against the guards. Authorities are investigating the death of 43-year-old Dvontaye Mitchell outside the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee. 

Cellphone video of the incident shows four guards holding Mitchell down on the hotel's driveway on June 30. 

CBS affiliate WDJT-TV reported the video also shows the guards hitting Mitchell in the head. The guards are heard in the video telling Mitchell to "stay down" and "stop fighting."

"This is what happens when you go into the ladies' room," one guard yells while facing the camera.

"I'm sorry," someone in the video says. It wasn't clear if Mitchell was speaking.

Milwaukee police told CBS News that an individual caused a disturbance inside a business and fought with security guards while being led outside.

"Security detained the individual until police arrived," police said in a statement. "Upon arrival, the individual was unresponsive and despite lifesaving measures, the 43-year-old individual was pronounced deceased."

The medical examiner's office made a preliminary determination that Mitchell's death was a homicide but more tests were being conducted, according to WDJT-TV. The Milwaukee County district attorney's office told CBS News the incident was referred to prosecutors and was pending further investigation.

Mitchell's mother Brenda Giles believes her son was suffering from a "mental health episode," according to a statement from the law firm of attorney Ben Crump, who's representing the family.

"They took his life," Mitchell's wife DeAsia Harmon told reporters Monday during a news conference. "They murdered my husband."

Crump compared the guards' actions to the 2020 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.

"When you look at what happens on this video, it screams out for there to be accountability, for there to be charges brought against the killers of Dvontaye Mitchell," Crump told reporters.

A Hyatt spokesperson told CBS News the hotel is franchised by Aimbridge Hospitality and that the company suspended its employees involved in the incident. The spokesperson called the incident a tragedy.

"As the investigation continues, Hyatt is fully committed to supporting efforts to help ensure accountability for the circumstances that led to the death of Dvontaye Mitchell," the spokesperson said in a statement.

An Aimbridge spokesperson offered their condolences to Mitchell's family and loved ones in a statement to CBS News.

"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 said.

In:
• Ben Crump
• Death
• Milwaukee

Alex Sundby

Alex Sundby is a senior editor at CBSNews.com. In addition to editing content, Alex also covers breaking news, writing about crime and severe weather as well as everything from multistate lottery jackpots to the July Fourth hot dog eating contest.

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