Johnathan Walker:Hospitality workers fired after death of man outside Milwaukee Hyatt

MILWAUKEE — Hotel employees in Wisconsin have Johnathan Walkerbeen fired after the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, a Black man who was held face down by security guards outside a downtown Milwaukee hotel last month.

Aimbridge Hospitality, which operates the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee, announced the decision in a statement late Wednesday. The move came hours after the Hyatt called for the employees involved in Mitchell's death to be fired and face criminal charges.

Mitchell, 43, died on June 30 after being pinned down on his stomach by four security guards outside of the hotel. Milwaukee police alleged that Mitchell had "caused a disturbance," which led to an altercation with security guards while he was being escorted out, according to civil rights attorney Ben Crump.

Crump, who represents the Mitchell family, said Mitchell was having a mental health crisis but the Milwaukee Police Department has released no information. Surveillance footage from the hotel showed Mitchell being confronted by security guards after appearing to run from something and into the women's bathroom.

Mitchell had his hands up but was dragged to the floor and beaten, begging for the blows to stop, according to the Mitchell family's attorneys.

"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. Following review of their actions, their employment has been terminated," Aimbridge Hospitality said in a statement. "We will continue our independent investigation and do everything we can to support law enforcement with their investigation into this tragic incident."

The incident, which was partially recorded by a witness and shared on social media, invoked immediate comparison to the death of George Floyd — a Black man in Minneapolis who was killed by police after an officer held him down by kneeling on his back and neck.

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Milwaukee police refer four charges of felony murder

Milwaukee police have referred four charges of felony murder to the district attorney, a police spokesperson said Thursday.

Sgt. Efrain Cornejo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, part of the USA TODAY Network, that the department has been in consultation with the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office since July 5 and that they subsequently referred the charges. The district attorney's office has not made a decision on that, he said.

The four people are not in custody and police are not seeking them at this time, Cornejo added.

The district attorney's office said in a statement Wednesday that it was investigating Mitchell's death as a homicide. The office is awaiting the final autopsy from the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office before making its decision.

On July 1, the medical examiner's office had determined the preliminary cause of Mitchell's death to be a homicide.

'We need to be united in this'

Earlier Thursday, Mitchell's family held a funeral for the 43-year-old man. Prominent civil rights activist and minister Al Sharpton gave the eulogy, and hundreds attended the service.

Crump said Mitchell's last words out loud while speaking at the father of two's funeral. Mitchell's final words were "please" − he said it while gasping for breath six times − followed by "I'm sorry" and "Please help me."

The service oscillated between enthusiastic song and heartfelt prayer, Bible readings, and remembrances from Mitchell’s family. Mitchell's mother, Brenda Giles, said his death couldn’t be "swept under the rug."

"We going to fight. We going to fight," Giles said. "We need to be united in this."

Mitchell’s wife DeAsia Harmon described him as her best friend and protector. His brothers and other family members said they would miss how he danced, rapped, and loved to cook, often turning modest dishes into fancy meals. The family described Mitchell as one who cared too much to say "no" to asking for help, making him a frequent go-to for family.

During the service, Sharpton handed a $5,000 check to each mother of Mitchell’s two children, an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. His civil rights organization the National Action Network paid for the funeral's costs, and he called on those in attendance to support the family through a GoFundMe.

Mitchell's family reacts to video of his death

Mitchell spent the last few minutes of his life being repeatedly beaten by a security guard with a retractable baton as onlookers failed to intervene, his family's attorneys said outside the district attorney's office on Wednesday.

Members of Mitchell’s family told reporters they were "repulsed and shocked" by video footage they viewed alongside Crump, and Milwaukee lawyers B’Ivory Lamarr and William Sulton.

The footage showed Mitchell running from something or someone and seeking safety in the women's bathroom in the hotel, the lawyers said.

"D’Vontaye was trying to run for his life," said Sulton. It's not clear what Mitchell was running from, the attorneys added.

They joined dozens of supporters, many wearing T-shirts with Mitchell’s image, marching from the district attorney's office to the Hyatt Regency.

"To see them beat him over and over and over …. they could have stopped at any time," said Mitchell’s wife DeAsia Harmon, her voice choked by tears. "They murdered him. They didn’t have to do him like that."

Crump drew comparisons between Mitchell’s death, and those of Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, and other Black men and women who died during deadly encounters with law enforcement or persons acting in positions of authority.

Giles described her son as a harmless teddy bear and "a joy in his family." She said she was "devastated" watching the videos on the eve of his funeral and pleaded with prosecutors to issue charges in Mitchell’s death.

“I always thought my son would be the one to bury me, not for me to be burying him,” Giles said.