Shocking video shows four Hyatt security guards restraining a man outside a Milwaukee hotel as his family says he was killed like George Floyd

By Melissa Koenig for Dailymail.Com

23:56 08 Jul 2024, updated 00:38 09 Jul 2024

• Dvontaye Mitchell, 43, was pronounced dead outside the hotel on June 30

Shocking video has captured the moment four security guards restrained a man outside a downtown Milwaukee hotel – ultimately leading to his death.

Dvontaye Mitchell, 43, was pronounced dead around 4pm on June 30 outside the Hyatt Regency hotel, where security guards were seen trying to hold him down as he called for help.

At least one of the guards appeared to be kneeling on Mitchell’s back, while another was seen holding his head in the video posted to Instagram by his cousin Samantha Mitchell, which she said was shared with the family by a witness at the scene.

The other two were seen holding his legs and arms.

The guard holding his head also appeared to hit Mitchell several times with an unidentified object and yelled at him, “Stay down! Stop fighting!”

But Mitchell could be heard grunting and screaming, “Please help me! Please! I’m sorry.”

When the guard holding his head finally notices that a passerby is filming them, he says: “This is what happens when you enter the women’s toilets!”

Police say Mitchell entered the hotel that afternoon and caused a disturbance. Police have not said what happened, but witnesses said he locked himself in a bathroom with a woman, Fox 6 Now reports.

He then allegedly fought with security officers escorting him out, and the officers detained him until police arrived at the scene.

But when authorities finally arrived at the hotel, they found Mitchell unconscious and, after performing life-saving measures, pronounced him dead at the scene, NBC News reports.

Mitchell’s mother said she was surprised later when she saw the injuries on her son’s body.

“It looked like the side of his face was smashed in,” Brenda Giles told WTMJ.

“Everywhere here it was just swollen.”

Giles has since suggested his son is suffering from a mental health issue and is seeking justice with the help of renowned civil rights attorney Ben Crump – who called Mitchell’s death “disturbing” and “reminiscent of the murder of George Floyd”.

“Every American, after George Floyd, should have trained their employees and their security personnel not to put their knees on people’s backs and necks,” Crump, who previously represented Floyd’s family, said at a news conference Monday.

“And when people have breathing problems, don’t keep them lying down.”

The lawyer then blamed the death of an “unarmed man” on the use of “excessive force” by security officers, while calling for a “thorough and transparent investigation” into their actions.

Mitchell’s grieving family is also demanding criminal charges be filed against the security guards and has called for more transparency — asking that security footage from inside the hotel be released, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

They note that Mitchell leaves behind a wife, a daughter and a son.

“They murdered my child,” Giles told WTMJ, adding that his “frustration lies” with the security guards.

“No one has been charged in this case,” she said. “They’re trying to sweep this case under the rug and we’re not letting this case go.”

Milwaukee police said their homicide unit is investigating Mitchell’s death but has not yet determined whether the case is criminal in nature.

The death is also being investigated by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.

But in the meantime, Hyatt said all security officers involved have been suspended while a third-party operator investigates their actions.

“We are working quickly with the hotel’s third-party operator, Aimbridge Hospitality, to understand the full extent of what happened,” a spokesperson for the hotel chain told NBC News.

“We understand that Aimbridge Hospitality is conducting a thorough investigation and has suspended the employees involved in the incident.”

The spokesperson also noted that the hotel was cooperating with police and said: “We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew and loved Mr. Mitchell.”

A spokesperson for Aimbridge Hospitality also said it offered “our sincere condolences to Mr Mitchell’s family and loved ones.”

“We continue to do everything we can to support law enforcement’s ongoing investigation into this incident and have no further comment at this time,” the spokesperson told WTMJ.

“We remain committed to maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for all hotel guests and associates,” the spokesperson added.

However, Crump said he wanted to keep Mitchell’s death in the spotlight as tens of thousands of people descend on Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention next week.

He noted that the hotel where Mitchell was killed is directly across the street from the Baird Center, one of the main venues for the massive event.