Four Wisconsin hotel workers are facing murder charges after tackling an erratic guest and pinning him to the ground. Staff dragged 43-year-old D’Vontaye Mitchell out of the women’s bathroom and held him face down on the floor for more than eight minutes. Police were called and arrived to find Mitchell unresponsive. Officers transported him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A subsequent autopsy concluded that Mitchell died from “restraint asphyxia and toxic effects of cocaine and methamphetamine.” Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office issued arrest warrants for the staff members identified as 60-year-old Todd Alan Erickson, 35-year-old Brandon LaDaniel Turner, 23-year-old Devin Johnson-Carson, and 53-year-old Herbert Williamson.
The incident unfolded when Mitchell ran into the hotel and began behaving erratically, including attempting to hide from staff. When he entered the women’s restroom, video footage shows workers dragging him outside, and court documents claim the staff members struck and kicked Mr. Mitchell. Mr. Erickson, however, insisted that Mitchell tried to assault him.
Documents also contain allegations that Mitchell had shown clear signs of distress, including gagging, pleading for help, and strained breathing. Footage appeared to show hotel workers with their knees on Mitchell’s back and neck. The medical examiner determined that the victim likely would have lived if staff had turned him on his side.
A spokesperson for Aimbridge Hospitality, which runs the hotel, said they are cooperating fully with law enforcement and that “our hearts are with Mr. Mitchell’s family and loved ones.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the victim’s family, said the murder charges against the hotel workers were a “significant step toward justice” for the Mitchell family. Crump also represented the family of George Floyd following his death, under similar circumstances, in Minneapolis in 2020. Floyd’s death prompted worldwide rioting that caused millions of dollars of damage in the United States and brought the Black Lives Matter protest group to global prominence.
Mitchell’s brother, Darrell Giles, told local reporters that the charges were a “bittersweet win” but added that the incident should never have happened.
