MILWAUKEE — On Monday, attorneys representing the family of D’Vontaye Mitchell confirmed that a settlement was reached with the third-party operator of the Hyatt Regency hotel in Milwaukee. This follows D’Vontaye’s tragic death in June when hotel staff restrained him outside the hotel.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, alongside local lawyers Will Sulton and B’Ivory Lamarr, stated in a joint announcement that they had been engaged in “constructive discussions” aiming for a resolution beneficial to Mitchell’s family.

“We are happy to announce that we have come to a fair settlement,” they declared, noting that the specifics of the agreement will remain confidential. They expressed satisfaction in resolving the issue without going to court and will refrain from further comments regarding the settlement.

Aimbridge Hospitality acknowledged the settlement and stated that it was the outcome of sincere negotiations with Mitchell’s family representatives, aimed at providing comfort amid their loss.

This announcement came shortly after a court commissioner decided that the criminal cases against four hotel employees accused of Mitchell’s death would proceed to trial. D’Vontaye Mitchell, aged 43, passed away on June 30 after being held face down by hotel staff for approximately nine minutes.

Previously released surveillance footage by Mitchell’s wife, DeAsia Harmon, and her attorney, Sulton, depicted a chaotic scene where Mitchell was seen running through the hotel lobby while being struck multiple times by the hotel staff and restrained. This footage coincided with the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office declaring Mitchell’s death as a homicide.

The incident stirred nationwide discussions, drawing parallels to the 2020 incident involving George Floyd, a Black man who was killed under similar circumstances involving police restraint for over nine minutes.

Four Hotel Workers Charged with Felony Murder

On August 6, Milwaukee County prosecutors filed felony murder charges against the four hotel employees linked to Mitchell’s death.

The accused include Todd Alan Erickson, 60; Brandon LaDaniel Turner, 35; Herbert T. Williamson, 52, all from Milwaukee, and Devin W. Johnson-Carson, 23, from South Milwaukee. They were present in court on Monday.

Erickson and Turner served as security personnel at the hotel, Williamson worked as a bell attendant, and Johnson-Carson held a front desk position. Aimbridge Hospitality terminated all four employees in July.

Milwaukee County Court Commissioner Rosa M. Barillas sent the cases of each defendant to trial after confirming there was sufficient probable cause for the charges. None of the accused entered a plea.

They are scheduled to return to court for arraignment on August 22.

Family members of Mitchell attended the hearing, wearing shirts that said “Justice for D’Vontaye.” They chose not to speak with reporters as they exited the courthouse.

Mitchell’s Death Classified as Homicide

On August 2, the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that Mitchell’s death was a homicide, resulting from restraint and the effects of cocaine and methamphetamine found in his system. The medical examiner’s report stated that Mitchell was “held down by four individuals after being combative in the hotel’s lobby.”

The report specified that Mitchell became unresponsive while waiting for police to arrive and that drug paraphernalia was located on him.

Dr. Lauren Decker, a forensic pathologist involved in the case, noted scrapes and bruises on Mitchell’s face and identified signs of “restraint asphyxia,” which occurs when a person’s position restricts their ability to breathe.

Mitchell, who was over 6 feet tall and weighed more than 300 pounds, also had an enlarged heart and tested positive for cocaine and methamphetamine, all of which could have contributed to his death, according to Decker.

Upon the report’s release, Sulton criticized the inclusion of drug information, emphasizing that the video clearly showed that Mitchell was murdered by the hotel security team.

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What Occurred on June 30?

During a court hearing, Detective Martin Saavedra from the Milwaukee Police shared details of the event, referencing footage provided by Hyatt staff.

The video portrayed Mitchell running into the hotel lobby and making his way to a gift shop, eventually entering a women’s restroom. Turner was seen following him into the restroom and subsequently escorting him out.

Saavedra recounted that Turner attempted to grab Mitchell, who fought back. Their altercation rapidly escalated into punching, and a hotel guest had to intervene when Mitchell was pushed to the ground.

Afterwards, Mitchell was dragged outside to the valet area, where a female Hyatt staff member began striking him with a broomstick. “At some point, the situation escalated”

“He managed to get him onto his stomach,” Savadra recounted.

Once in that position, Mitchell can be heard on a Facebook Live recording filmed by a passerby, repeatedly apologizing with the words, “I’m sorry,” according to Savadra’s testimony.

A criminal report claimed that Turner struck Mitchell approximately six times after a female employee hit him on the legs with a broom. Additional footage revealed that Williamson and Johnson-Carter were attempting to assist Erickson and Turner in restraining Mitchell on the ground while holding him down, as stated in the report.

According to investigators, the report detailed how Turner, Erickson, and Williamson applied different levels of pressure on Mitchell’s back, shoulders, and arms as they restrained him. Observers noted that Mitchell tried to escape from the hold multiple times, but eventually ceased displaying resistance or any signs of life, as mentioned in the report.