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Four hotel employees faced felony murder charges in relation to the passing of D’Vontaye Mitchell, an African American man who was observed in a video being held down outside a Milwaukee hotel during a mental health incident as noted by his family.

On Tuesday, the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office reported that it has filed a felony murder accusation against four individuals linked to Mitchell’s demise on June 30 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Milwaukee.

“These charges are the result of an extensive assessment of the evidence gathered by the Milwaukee Police Department, the autopsy performed, and the report generated by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office, as well as input from community members,” the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office mentioned in a statement.

The district attorney’s office stated that arrest warrants were issued for the four individuals facing charges in the incident. They were named in the criminal complaint as Todd Alan Erickson, a security guard; Devin W. Johnson-Carson, a front desk agent; Brandon Ladaniel Turner, a security guard who was not on duty at the time; and Herbert T. Williamson, a bellman. ABC News has contacted them for their response.

People march during a protest demanding justice in the deaths of Samuel Sharpe and D’Vontaye Mitchell outside of the security perimeter during the last day of the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wis., on July 18, 2024.
Vincent Alban/AFP via Getty Images

The Milwaukee County medical examiner determined Mitchell’s passing was a homicide, caused by restraint asphyxia and the toxic impact of cocaine and methamphetamine. Individuals gathered outside the Milwaukee District Attorney’s Office on Monday to urge charges to be pressed in his demise.

The criminal complaint mentions security footage from the hotel which it stated “recorded much of the occurrence leading up to” Mitchell’s demise.

Mitchell, 43, “seems to be [in] a frantic manner” while dashing across the hotel lobby and is then noticed sprinting out of a gift shop toward the women’s bathroom, according to the complaint.

The complaint asserts that after pulling Mitchell through the hotel lobby doors to the driveway, Turner repeatedly hit Mitchell with his fist. Johnson-Carson is also charged with hitting Mitchell with a fist and Erickson of kicking him in the torso.

“Complainant notes that throughout the video, [Mitchell’s] behavior is erratic and confusing, and he engages in continuous physical resistance against the men described above. But [Mitchell] does not instigate any violence or display any obviously aggressive or threatening behavior while on the hotel premises,” the complaint stated.

The complaint then alleges that the four men restrained Mitchell while he was lying face down for about eight to nine minutes until police and emergency responders arrived. During a certain point, Erickson “seems to hit” Mitchell with a collapsible baton, as per the complaint.

“By the end of that time period, [Mitchell] had ceased showing any movement or resistance or other signs of life,” the complaint stated.

The complaint also mentioned a Facebook video of the incident that it claimed “depicts loud breathing and gasps while [Mitchell] is expressing regret.”

dvontaye mitchell death ap lv
This undated photo provided by Samantha Mitchell shows D’Vontaye Mitchell, left, who died on June 30, 2024, after being pinned to the ground by hotel security guards in Milwaukee with his sister Nayish Mitchell and cousin Samantha Mitchell.
Samantha Mitchell/AP

Erickson, who was the on-duty security manager that day, informed police that Mitchell “was very strong and kept resisting them” and at one point tried to bite him, according to the complaint.

“Erickson claimed that he did not do anything to intentionally harm or kill” Mitchell, the complaint stated.

Williamson, who had been employed as a bellman for a month and a half at the time of the incident, informed police that he witnessed Mitchell “being very forceful with the security guards” and was “very aggressive,” as per the complaint.

He shared with police that Mitchell “continued to struggle and inquire what he did wrong” while pinned down, according to the complaint.

“Williamson stated that he dismounted [Mitchell], and Williamson stated that he believed [Mitchell] was still responsive. However, ‘the next thing you know, I realized he was unconscious,'” the complaint stated.

Turner informed police that he observed Mitchell “pleading and bothering a guest” and confessed to hitting Mitchell “several times,” according to the complaint.

Johnson-Carson, who had been working at the front desk for about two months at the time of the incident, told police that he “recalls [Mitchell ] mentioning something about breathing” and saw Erickson check Mitchell’s pulse a few times, as per the complaint.

Johnson-Carson told police that he “never witnessed anyone strangle [Mitchell] and that neither he nor the other four staff members ever state that they believed that [Mitchell] was not breathing during the time he was face first on the ground,” the complaint stated.

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The four employees were dismissed based on their actions, according to Aimbridge Hospitality, the hotel management firm that hired them.

“We are continuing to do everything we can to support law enforcement with their ongoing investigation of this tragedy, and will continue our own investigation,” Aimbridge Hospitality said in the statement to ABC News.

After news of the charges broke, a spokesperson for Aimbridge Hospitality said they will continue to cooperate.

“Our hearts are with Mr. Mitchell’s family and loved ones as this case moves forward. We have collaborated fully with law enforcement in their inquiry into this tragic occurrence and will persist in collaborating with the district attorney,” the statement indicated.

Ben Crump, a legal representative for the family, described the charges as a “meaningful stride towards justice.”

“The proof, including surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts, portrays a troubling image of an individual in distress who was met with excessive and deadly force,” Crump articulated in a statement. “The fact that D’Vontaye was restrained face down on the road for eight to nine minutes — similar to George Floyd — is a thought-provoking reminder of the pressing necessity for answerability and justice.”

Mitchell’s widow, Deasia Harmon, communicated to journalists on Tuesday that she is “thankful” for the charges, although she articulated frustration at the duration of the inquiry.

“I simply desire everyone to be held responsible,” she stated. “I’m striving to disseminate his narrative, to enable his voice to be heard through me, for my family, and for his family. We all desire justice for him. It’s something they should have executed from the start.”

Local family legal advisor William Sulton conveyed in a statement to ABC News, the incident ought not to have occurred.

“While we concur that the workers should be accused of murder, we are conscious of the reality that this would not have transpired without Mr. Mitchell’s family’s engagement of attorneys to investigate the homicide,” Sulton expressed in the statement.

“The family should not have had to wait 37 days for charges when the homicide was captured on video. We appeal that the public continue to uphold the family through this challenging period,” his statement concluded.

ABC News’ Davi Merchan contributed to this report.

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