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4 former hotel employees plead not guilty

Online court records show the four men pleaded not guilty during their arraignment in Milwaukee on Thursday.

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Four former hotel employees pleaded not guilty Thursday to murder charges in connection with the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, a Black man who died in June after being pushed to the ground outside a Hyatt Regency hotel in Milwaukee.

The former hotel employees — Todd Alan Erickson, 60; Brandon LaDaniel Turner, 35; Herbert T. Williamson, 52; and Devin W. Johnson-Carson, 23 — were charged with murder earlier this month. Online court records show the four men pleaded not guilty during arraignments in Milwaukee on Thursday.

Mitchell, 43, died June 30 during an altercation with security guards outside the Hyatt Regency hotel in downtown Milwaukee, where he was held facedown for about nine minutes, according to court documents and surveillance footage.

Erickson and Turner were employed as security guards at the hotel; Williamson worked as a bellboy and doorman, and Johnson-Carson worked at the front desk. The hotel's operator, Aimbridge Hospitality, fired the four men in July, and police arrested them in August.

Thursday's arraignment comes after criminal charges against the four men were scheduled for trial by a court commissioner on Monday. Attorneys for the Mitchell family also announced the same day that a settlement had been reached with Aimbridge Hospitality.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but the operator said the settlement was “the result of serious discussions with representatives of D'Vontaye Mitchell's family with the goal of providing some comfort to the family in their grief over this tragic loss.”

The incident attracted national attention, raised questions about the use of force and drew comparisons to the murder of George Floyd, a black man killed by Minneapolis police in 2020. It also sparked days of protests and demonstrations ahead of the Republican National Convention, which took place in Milwaukee from July 15-18.

When is deadly force justified? Recent police killings raise questions

Documents show: Deposits for former Hyatt employees reduced

According to court documents, bail for Erickson and Turner was reduced on Thursday. For Erickson, bail was reduced from $50,000 to $5,000 and for Turner, bail was reduced from $30,000 to $5,000.

Williamson's bail was reduced from $15,000 to $5,000 last Friday, court records show. Johnson-Carson's bail had been set at $5,000 after his arrest, and he was later released from jail after posting bail on Aug. 12.

A criminal complaint says Mitchell was outnumbered during the deadly confrontation. The 43-year-old was repeatedly punched and hit with a broom after being forced to his knees. Hotel surveillance footage shows Mitchell running through the lobby into the gift shop and then entering a women's restroom. Turner can be seen going into the same restroom and escorting Mitchell out.

According to the footage and the criminal complaint, a fight then broke out between Turner and Mitchell in the hotel's main lobby, where Turner began hitting Mitchell, causing him to fall to the ground.

The incident caught the attention of a hotel guest, identified in the complaint as SB, who intervened to help Turner. According to the complaint, the hotel guest and Turner escorted Mitchell and later dragged him outside – where a Hyatt employee struck Mitchell on the legs with a broom.

“At some point, the perpetrators gained control of him and placed him on his stomach,” Milwaukee Police Detective Martin Saavedra testified at the preliminary hearing Monday.

The lawsuit says Turner then punched Mitchell about six times. The footage also shows Williamson and Johnson-Carter trying to help Erickson and Turner push Mitchell onto his stomach.

The death of D'Vontaye Mitchell was declared a homicide

The Milwaukee County Coroner's Office determined on August 2 that Mitchell's death was a homicide caused by “restraint asphyxia and the toxic effects of cocaine and methamphetamine.” Restraint asphyxia occurs when a person is restrained in such a way that they cannot breathe adequately.

“He was reportedly unresponsive while personnel waited for police to arrive,” the Milwaukee County Coroner's final report said. “Illegal drug paraphernalia was found on him.”

Dr. Lauren Decker, a forensic pathologist at the medical examiner's office, said Mitchell had scratches and bruises on his face. She added that several factors, including Mitchell's height, weight and medical condition, may have contributed to his death.

Mitchell was obese for his size—he was 6 feet tall and weighed over 300 pounds—and had an enlarged heart, according to the coroner.

Contributors: Chris Ramirez, David Clarey and Drake Bentley, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

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