Black man dies after security guards at a Milwaukee hotel pinned him to the ground – family demands charges

The family of a black man who died after security guards pinned him to the ground outside a Milwaukee hotel is demanding that charges be filed against the guards. Authorities are investigating the death of 43-year-old Dvontaye Mitchell outside the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee.

A cellphone video of the incident shows four guards detaining Mitchell in the hotel driveway on June 30.

CBS affiliate WDJT-TV reported that the video also shows guards hitting Mitchell in the head. In the video, guards can be heard telling Mitchell to “stay down” and “stop fighting.”

“This is what happens when you enter the ladies’ room,” a security guard shouts into the camera.

“I’m sorry,” someone says in the video. It’s not clear if Mitchell is speaking.

Milwaukee police told CBS News that a person was causing a disturbance inside a store and then argued with security on the way out.

“Security detained the person until police arrived,” police said in a statement. “Upon arrival, the person was unresponsive and despite life-saving measures, the 43-year-old was pronounced dead.”

According to WDJT-TV, the medical examiner’s office has made a preliminary determination that Mitchell’s death was a homicide, but further investigations are ongoing. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office told CBS News the incident has been forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office and is 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 is representing the family.

“They took his life,” Mitchell’s wife, DeAsia Harmon, told reporters during a press conference on Monday. “They murdered my husband.”

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

“When you look at what is happening on this video, it just screams for accountability and charges to be brought against the killers of Dvontaye Mitchell,” Crump told reporters.

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

“While the investigation continues, Hyatt is committed to supporting efforts to ensure accountability for the circumstances that led to Dvontaye Mitchell’s death,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

An Aimbridge spokesperson sent condolences to Mitchell’s family and loved ones in a statement to CBS News.

“We continue to do everything we can to assist law enforcement’s ongoing investigation into this incident and have no further comment at this time,” the spokesperson said.