Security guard pleads guilty in death of man restrained outside Milwaukee hotel

USA Today

6 days ago

MILWAUKEE — The last of four hotel employees charged in connection with the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell, a Black man who was held face down outside a downtown Milwaukee hotel in 2024, has pleaded guilty.
Former Hyatt Regency security guard Todd Erickson, 59, pleaded guilty on July 31 to felony murder. The plea, before Circuit Judge David Swanson, came just days before jury selection was expected to get underway in Erickson's Aug. 11 trial.
The 43-year-old Mitchell died during a June 30, 2024, confrontation with security at the Hyatt, where he was pinned down to the ground for about nine minutes. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Mitchell's death was a homicide that was caused by "restraint asphyxia," a condition that develops when a person's body position prevents them from breathing.
Erickson and three other men — Devin W. Johnson-Carson, Brandon LaDaniel Turner and Herbert T. Williamson — were initially charged with felony murder. Erickson and Turner were employed by the hotel as security guards; Williamson worked as a bell driver door attendant; and Johnson-Carson was a front desk agent.
In Wisconsin, felony murder carries a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. Court records show prosecutors haven't made a sentencing recommendation yet for Erickson.
Swanson said in court he would "take into account" Erickson's willingness to take responsibility in the case at sentencing. Erickson remained free on bond, and will be sentenced Sept. 3 — the same day as the three other men charged in connection to Mitchell's death.
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What happened to D'Vontaye Mitchell?
A criminal complaint said Mitchell was outnumbered during the deadly encounter, in which the 43-year-old was repeatedly punched and hit with a broom after he was brought to his knees.
Surveillance footage from the hotel showed Mitchell running through the lobby into the gift shop before entering a women's restroom. Turner is seen going into the same restroom, in which then he escorts Mitchell out.
A struggle then ensued between Turner and Mitchell in the hotel's main lobby, according to the footage and criminal complaint. Turner tried to grab Mitchell, but Mitchell resisted, the footage showed.
Once in the lobby, the men are seen in the footage pushing each other. It's there that Turner begins punching Mitchell, who is knocked to the floor.
The incident draws the attention of a hotel guest, who intervenes to help Turner. According to the complaint, the hotel guest and Turner escorted and later dragged Mitchell outside — where a female Hyatt employee struck Mitchell in the legs with a broom.
The complaint said Turner then punched Mitchell about six times and footage further showed Williamson and Johnson-Carter attempting to help Erickson and Turner force Mitchell down to his stomach.
'At some point, the individuals gained control of him and got him on his stomach," Milwaukee Police Detective Martin Saavedra testified at a preliminary hearing in August 2024.
Once on his stomach, Mitchell is heard on a Facebook Live video captured by a bystander repeatedly saying "I'm sorry." Mitchell died after being restrained for roughly nine minutes by the men.
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Mitchell's death drew comparisons to other cases
The incident garnered national attention — raising questions over the use of force — and drew immediate comparisons to George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died in 2020 after a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck and back for more than nine minutes.
Mitchell's death also sparked days of protests and demonstrations leading up to the Republican National Convention, which was held between July 15 and July 18, 2024, and hosted in Milwaukee.
The case drew the attention of attorney Benjamin Crump, who has represented families across the country for personal injury and civil rights violations, including those of Floyd, Tyre Nichols, and Breonna Taylor.
Crump, along with Milwaukee attorneys Will Sulton and B'Ivory Lamarr, negotiated a settlement between Mitchell's family and Aimbridge Hospitality, the third-party operator that manages the Hyatt. The Plano, Texas,-based company fired all four men after the criminal charges were handed down.
Here's what has happened with the other defendants
Turner, 35, of Milwaukee, reached a deal in March to plead guilty to felony as a party to a crime and cooperate with prosecutors. Prosecutors agreed to recommend probation for Turner in exchange for his testimony against any remaining defendants at trial.
Also in March, Williamson, 53, of Milwaukee, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery, which is punishable by up to nine months in jail, plus a $10,000 fine.
Johnson-Carson, 24, pleaded guilty that same month to misdemeanor battery in exchange for his cooperation and testimony. Prosecutors are recommending Johnson-Carson be given probation.