Criminal murder charges have been filed against four individuals connected to the death of D’Vontaye Mitchell, who died in June after being restrained by security guards outside a Milwaukee hotel. The Milwaukee County medical examiner ruled Mitchell’s death a homicide, citing suffocation and the effects of multiple drugs.

Todd Alan Erickson, Devin W. Johnson-Carson, Brandon LaDaniel Turner, and Herbert T. Williamson each face felony murder charges, with arrest warrants issued for all four. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years and nine months in prison.

D’Vontaye Mitchell.

Mitchell, 43, was pinned face down on the ground by four hotel employees, including security guards, on June 30 outside the Hyatt Regency hotel. The incident followed a disturbance Mitchell caused inside the hotel, after which security detained him until police arrived.

Police arrived around 4:30 p.m. to find Mitchell not breathing on the ground. Erickson and Turner were security guards, Williamson was a bell driver door attendant, and Johnson-Carson was a front desk agent. The criminal complaint alleges Mitchell was tackled, punched, and kicked during the struggle, with video showing him being held on the ground for 8 to 9 minutes.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump compared Mitchell’s death to the murder of George Floyd, emphasizing the need for comprehensive training and oversight of security personnel. He called the murder charges “a significant step towards justice.”

Mitchell’s family had demanded criminal charges, and Crump stated, “D’Vontaye’s life mattered, and his story will not be forgotten.”