On Camera: Black Man Dies After Being Pinned Down By Security Guards In US

The death of a Black man, who was pinned to the ground by security guards at a Wisconsin hotel last month, has left his family with more questions than answers, despite some of the incident being captured by witnesses, CNN reported. 

Dvontaye Mitchell, aged 43, was at the downtown Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee on June 30 when police allege he “caused a disturbance,” leading security guards to escort him out of the hotel, according to a statement from Mitchell’s family attorney, Ben Crump.

A portion of a video shared on social media shows four security guards holding Mr Mitchell down on the ground. In the video, Mr Mitchell grunts and pleads with the guards, repeatedly saying “please” and “I’m sorry.”

One of the guards can be heard instructing Mr Mitchell to “stay down” and “stop fighting,” while the others hold him down. The same guard addresses witnesses, stating, “This is what happens when you go into the ladies’ room.”

The circumstances leading up to Mitchell’s interaction with the security guards, the response time of police officers, and Mr Mitchell’s activities at the hotel remain unclear.

A Black man (Dvontaye Mitchell) was ki***din Milwaukee by the private security thugs of @hyattregency pic.twitter.com/IBQZmng66W

— joaquin (@joaquindreamz) July 3, 2024

Upon their arrival, officers found Mr Mitchell unresponsive. Despite attempts at lifesaving measures, he was pronounced dead, as confirmed by Milwaukee Police to CNN on Tuesday, although Mr Mitchell was not named in their statement.

According to Karen Domagalski of the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, the preliminary cause of Mr Mitchell’s death is homicide, though the final determination is still pending.

“The cause and manner of death is pending toxicology and further investigation, Domagalski said. “We do not have a timeline for when this case will be finalized.”

The incident occurs at a time when the use of force, especially against people of colour, by police and others in positions of authority continues to face scrutiny, nearly four years after nationwide protests erupted following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

DeAsia Harmon, Mitchell’s widow, shared with CNN affiliate WTMJ on Monday that whenever Mitchell’s children watch television, they are reminded of how their father passed away.

“We couldn’t even go into the grocery store with my daughter without her being afraid of the security standing at the door,” Harmon said. “She said, ‘is all security bad or just the ones who murdered my dad.'”

The media outlet reported that security guards involved in the incident have been suspended. 

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dvontaye Mitchell’s family, all those who knew and loved him, and the Milwaukee community in light of this tragedy,” the spokesperson said. “As the investigation continues, Hyatt is fully committed to supporting efforts to help ensure accountability for the circumstances that led to the death of Dvontaye Mitchell.”

According to Crump, Milwaukee Police are not considering the incident as criminal investigation because there isn’t any evidence of “blunt force.”

“It is unacceptable that this case is not being considered a criminal investigation despite the fatal outcome, which the medical examiner considers a homicide,” Crump said.

 Mitchell’s mother, Brenda Giles, said her eldest son was a jolly, outgoing, brother, uncle and father who loved his family, she told WTMJ.

“Everybody that knows him, to know him is to love him, they know,” his sister, Nayisha Mitchell told the station. “They knew he was a good person.”