Calls for Justice Intensify after Fatal Incident in MilwaukeeCalls for Justice Intensify after Fatal Incident in Milwaukee Outrage is growing following the death of Dvontaye Mitchell, a Black man who was pushed to the ground by security guards at a Milwaukee hotel. The incident has sparked protests and reignited concerns about systemic brutality against Black people by authority figures. The June 30 death has rekindled memories of George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis two years prior. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who also represented Floyd’s family, is part of a team demanding justice for Mitchell’s family and calling for charges against those responsible. Mitchell’s death has heightened security concerns in Milwaukee ahead of the Republican Party convention. Protests are expected as the city braces for increased police presence. Bystander video shows security guards kneeling on Mitchell’s back and neck, hitting him with objects, and smothering his head with his shirt. These actions, coming after the widespread outcry over Floyd’s death, have raised questions about the training and use of force by security personnel. Mitchell’s family believes he was homeless, but his cousin disputes this. They have released a statement expressing their love for him and calling for the release of all relevant evidence, including security camera footage. Aimbridge Hospitality, which manages the Hyatt Regency, has offered its condolences and supports the investigation. Mitchell’s family has moved his funeral to Thursday to avoid overshadowing the GOP convention. The Milwaukee County Prosecutor’s Office is working with police to await autopsy results and investigate the case as a homicide. They vow to examine all aspects of Mitchell’s death and the use of force by security guards.
Calls for justice are growing after a black man was pushed to the ground during a struggle with security guards at a Milwaukee hotel. Thousands of GOP supporters and protesters are expected to gather in the city ahead of the Republican Party convention.
The June 30 death of Dvontaye Mitchell is the latest flashpoint in the country’s approach to race and what some see as systematic brutality against Black people by law enforcement and other authority figures, nearly four years after the killing of George Floyd by a white Minneapolis police officer in May 2020.
The outrage comes as Milwaukee is already facing heightened security concerns surrounding political protests, just days before the convention is set to begin on July 15.
“Just because there’s a big event coming up in Milwaukee soon, the murder of Dvontaye Mitchell is just as important as anything that’s going to happen in Milwaukee this month,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump told reporters Monday.
“We will continue to demand justice every day this week, every day next week, and every day after that,” said Crump, who is part of a team of attorneys representing Mitchell’s family. His relatives have called for charges to be filed against those responsible for his death.
Crump also represented the family of Floyd, whose death sparked worldwide protests against racial violence and police brutality.
Mitchell, 43, died at the Hyatt Regency after four security guards held him down on his stomach, media reported. Police said Mitchell entered the hotel, caused a disturbance and fought with guards as they escorted him out.
The coroner’s office has said the preliminary cause of death was homicide, but the cause is still under investigation. So far, no criminal charges have been filed.
The Milwaukee County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday that it is working with police to await full autopsy results and is investigating the case as a homicide.
“The autopsy results will inform the ongoing police investigation into Mr. Mitchell’s death and allow our office to comprehensively evaluate the actions that led to Mr. Mitchell’s death from the perspective of potential criminal liability,” the district attorney’s office said. “All aspects of these actions, including Mr. Mitchell’s death and the use of force by hotel staff, will be closely examined.”
Mitchell’s family wants evidence, particularly security camera footage, to be made public.
According to Crump, video footage recorded by a bystander and circulating on social media shows security guards using excessive force to get Mitchell under control.
“In the video you see them with their knees on his back and neck,” Crump said. “You see what appears to be (a security guard) hitting him in the head with an object. You see them pulling his shirt over his head, which not only stifles his voice but also, we believe, his breathing.”
“Everyone in America after George Floyd should have trained their employees, especially security personnel, not to kneel on people’s backs and necks,” Crump added.
It’s unclear why Mitchell was at the hotel or what happened before guards pinned him down. The Milwaukee County coroner’s initial report said he was homeless, but a cousin told The Associated Press on Wednesday that was incorrect.
A spokesman for Aimbridge Hospitality, which manages the Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee, said in a statement that it offers its condolences to Mitchell’s family and supports the investigation.
According to his 37-year-old cousin Samantha Mitchell, Mitchell was born and raised in Milwaukee and had never been diagnosed with any mental illness.
“Dvontaye loved to cook,” she said. “He was overprotective of his family, especially his younger cousins. He was a jokester. He really bonded with a lot of our male cousins as we were growing up, and enjoyed life together.”
She said the family moved his funeral from Saturday to Thursday so its significance wouldn’t be overshadowed by the GOP convention.
“We need to keep this in the light and not sweep it under the rug,” Mitchell said. “Regardless of the convention that’s going on, this is still an issue that needs attention from everyone, no matter what party you are. I want people to talk about it while they’re here for the convention. That says a lot.”
The Associated Press sent an email to Republican National Convention representatives Wednesday seeking comment on the death of Dvontaye Mitchell.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
