A 4th man accused in a fatal dogpile outside a Milwaukee hotel pleads guilty to felony murder
Former Hyatt Hotel security guard Todd Erickson entered the plea in connection with D'Vontaye Mitchell's death in Milwaukee County Circuit Court on Thursday morning, online court records indicate.
Erickson was set to go on trial on Aug. 11. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he's sentenced Sept. 3. His attorney, Kerri Cleghorn, didn't immediately return a voicemail left at her office.
Erickson's plea moves a massive criminal case reminiscent of George Floyd's death a step closer to resolution.
According to investigators, Mitchell ran into the Hyatt's lobby in June 2024 and went into the women's bathroom. Two women later told detectives that Mitchell tried to lock them in the bathroom.
Security guard Brandon Turner pulled Mitchell out of the bathroom and together with a guest dragged him out of the lobby onto a hotel driveway. Turner, Erickson, bellhop Herbert Williamson and front desk worker Devin Johnson-Carson continued to struggle with Mitchell before taking him to the ground and piling on top of him, according to a criminal complaint.
Hotel surveillance video shows Johnson-Carson holding Mitchell's legs while Erickson, Turner and Williamson held down his upper body. They kept him pinned for eight to nine minutes. By the time emergency responders arrived, Mitchell had stopped breathing.
A medical examiner later determined that Mitchell was morbidly obese, suffered from heart disease, and had cocaine and methamphetamine in his system. The medical examiner concluded that he had suffocated and ruled his death a homicide.
Attorneys for Mitchell's family have likened his death to the murder of Floyd, a Black man who died in 2020 after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for about nine minutes. Floyd's death sparked a national reckoning on racial relations.
Mitchell was Black. Court records identify Erickson as white and Turner, Williamson and Johnson-Carson as Black.
The four workers told investigators that Mitchell was strong and tried to bite Erickson, but they didn't mean to hurt him. Ambridge Hospitality, the company that manages the Hyatt, fired all four of them in July 2024.
Turner, Williamson and Johnson-Carson were all charged with being a party to felony murder along with Erickson. Turner pleaded guilty to that count this past March. Williamson and Johnson-Carson both pleaded guilty to a reduced count of misdemeanor battery that same month. All three are set to be sentenced Sept. 3, the same day as Erickson.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Wake DA primary: Will a rare race with no incumbent mean change?
After more than a decade as Wake County's top prosecutor, Lorrin Freeman's plans to retire leaves one of North Carolina's most powerful legal posts up for grabs in 2026. It's the first time an incumbent hasn't run for district attorney in Wake in more than 10 years. And just the third time in 40 years. Like other district attorneys across the state, the Wake DA decides whether to seek the death penalty in murder cases, whether to investigate and prosecute local police and what diversion programs to offer to allow people to try to erase their criminal charges or stay out of prison. But this DA post is a bigger job than in most North Carolina. Since Raleigh is the state capital, the local DA has extra duties. Freeman has directed investigations into accusations against state government officials, including Gov. Governor Josh Stein while he was attorney general in 2022 and former treasurer Dale Folwell in 2024, for instance. It was she who decided to investigate but not prosecute two state Highway Patrol members she concluded had conspired to lie after a fatal crash in Raleigh. Two Democrats have already announced they are candidates for a March 2026 primary, with influential supporters announcing endorsements and fundraisers even though voting is more than six months away. Freeman endorsed Sherita Walton, a former prosecutor turned Raleigh police attorney and the first Black candidate in recent memory, according to interviews. Freeman's predecessor Colon Willoughby, Wake DA for 28 years, endorsed Melanie Shekita. Shekita grew up in Raleigh and spent 27 years as a prosecutor in the Wake. This race may have a third contender, too. Former U.S. House member Wiley Nickel, who recently pulled out of the U.S. Senate primary campaign to make room for former Gov. Roy Cooper, may also run, according to several news reports. Nickel declined to comment through a spokesperson. When asked about the former state and federal legislator's potential run, Freeman said the community has benefited from a tradition that keeps partisan politics out of local courts. 'Being District Attorney is a highly demanding and critical role for our community and ideally isn't someone's afterthought,' Freeman wrote in a text. Whoever wins what could be a compelling and competitive Democratic primary in March may well succeed Freeman, as Democrats have historically won the Wake DA race. Who is Melanie Shekita? After working in the DA's office for 27 years, Shekita, 53, had already been thinking about whether she would run whenever Freeman decided to retire. After Freeman announced her decision at a staff meeting in May, Shekita said she decided her experience makes her the best person for the job. Shekita grew up in Raleigh, attended UNC-Chapel Hill and then Campbell Law School in Buies Creek. She interned and later went to work at the Wake DA's office for nearly three decades. 'It makes me uniquely qualified to make sure that this office continues to be the best office in the state,' Shekita said. Shekita currently oversees the Wake office's special victims unit, which handles crimes against children and certain sexual assaults. Willoughby, who hired Shekita as an assistant district attorney, agrees she is the best candidate. He lauded her 'dedication to the office and her commitment to victims.' As DA, Shekita's top priorities would be working to curb gun violence by targeting offenders and prosecuting them as quickly as possible, she said. She also wants to address an increasing trend of youth with guns and focus on recruiting and retaining prosecutors. Who is Sherita Walton? Walton, 47, didn't plan on running for district attorney. That was until Freeman met her for lunch and encouraged her to run, Walton said. Walton took some time to reflect on her career and her faith, she said, and realized it was time for her to step up. 'I felt called to lead, and to bring about the kind of justice that is possible when doing what's right is the goal,' she said. Walton grew up in Brooklyn, attending Binghamton University and law school at Pace University in White Plains, NY. She worked in private practice in New York City, and then served as a prosecutor in Manhattan. In 2016, Walton and her husband moved to North Carolina, looking for a better environment to raise their two children, she said. Walton worked for Freeman until 2021, when she accepted a job with the city of Raleigh advising police during serious events and handling requests for officer dashboard- and body-camera footage. Her diverse experience will allow her to 'elevate our office to meet the demands of one of the fastest growing counties in the nation,' Freeman said. Walton's first priority as DA would be cases that threaten the community's public safety, which includes violent offenses and sexual assaults, she said. She would also emphasize integrity and compassion, she said, and take pains to be sure that victims and defendants understand how they should be treated. Wake DA election dynamics Incumbent DAs don't just run often, they often win handily. The trend held in 2022, even when Freeman faced a highly critical, nearly yearlong challenge from Democratic candidate and defense attorney Damon Chetson. Chetson, along with other more left-leaning Democrats, criticized Freeman's decision not to denounce the death penalty or drop charges against people charged with low-level marijuana offenses. They also criticized her handling of cases involving police and said there was too little diversity among prosecutors in her office. An anonymous group created a website — — and placed billboards on box trucks to criticize Freeman, saying she put 'police above the law' and was 'the most bloodthirsty prosecutor in North Carolina.' But voters ultimately supported Freeman, who received nearly 60% of the vote in the Democratic primary. In the general election, she won more than 60% of the vote against Republican Jeff Dobson. Like Freeman, Walton and Shekita would not denounce the death penalty, they said. Also like Freeman, they said that low-level marijuana cases would be a low priority, but neither would agree to not enforce state laws. Durham County's district attorney has said she won't prosecute low-level marijuana charges, and some people have pushed for Freeman to do the same. But both women said their leadership would differ from Freeman's in some ways. Walton would work to better inform the public on what is happening in the Wake DA's office and the criminal justice system, she said. Shekita said she would focus more on staff retention and spend more time in court than Freeman has. At least one local civil rights advocate, Dawn Blagrove of Emancipate NC, said she isn't impressed with those known or expected to run for the big-impact position, saying they wouldn't bring enough reforms. Blagrove, who leads the civil rights organization, is a frequent critic of Freeman and has participated in press conferences and events criticizing her for not pressing charges against police officers accused of misconduct. 'The two candidates that we have are so deeply rooted in the establishment, have been endorsed by the establishment in a way that I am hoping will not be palatable to a lot of people right now,' she said. There is still plenty of time for other Democrats and Republicans to join the race. The deadline to announce is Dec. 19. Virginia Bridges covers criminal justice in the Triangle and across North Carolina for The News & Observer. Her work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The N&O maintains full editorial control of its journalism. Solve the daily Crossword
Black America Web
an hour ago
- Black America Web
Black Man Files Lawsuit Accusing NY Cop Of Harassing, Arresting Him For Honking Horn At Green Light
Source: Troy Police Department (TPD) / Troy Police Department In today's episode of Cops Have Too Much Power To Have Egos This Fragile , a Black man in Troy, New York, is suing the Troy Police Department and one of its officers for violating his civil rights after the cop in question violently arrested him, allegedly, because he beeped his horn after the officer failed to drive forward once the traffic light turned green. According to WNYT 13, the traffic stop took place in July 2024 on 3rd and Madison, not far from the home of Matt Edwards, who filed his lawsuit in early July against TPD and Officer Taylor Gamache, who can be seen in bodycam footage approaching Edwards as he is moving his trash cans from in front of his home. Gamache appears to be citing how far Edwards' car is parked from the curb in front of his home as the reason for the stop—which, even if that reason were legitimate, it still wouldn't explain the arrest. From Newsweek: The lawsuit says the vehicle, driven by Gamache, had failed to proceed even though the light had turned green. After a brief pause, Edwards says he gave a light horn tap to alert the officer. Gamache then made an unsignaled left turn—seemingly reacting to Edwards's active left turn signal, according to the lawsuit. To avoid conflict, Edwards had canceled his signal and continued straight, choosing a different route home, said his attorney. He added that upon reaching his residence, Edwards temporarily parked his vehicle about 12 inches from the curb, got out and began moving his garbage bins away from the sidewalk into an alleyway in order to fully park. Moments later, Gamache, whom the lawsuit says had followed Edwards, arrived in his marked patrol car with his body camera recording. The lawsuit then states: '[Gamache] initiated a purportedly legal traffic stop of [Edwards] for allegedly violating NY Vehicle and Traffic Law—including unlawfully using his vehicle horn to alert Gamache that the traffic signal had turned green, and that Edwards was parked more than 12' from the curb when he temporarily stopped his vehicle while retrieving his garbage cans. On the bodycam footage, Edwards can be heard saying repeatedly he has committed no crime and asking Gamache: 'Can you please call your superior?' Assisted by additional Troy Police officers and a Rensselaer County Sheriff's Deputy, Gamache detained Edwards, ultimately wrestling him to the ground and placing him under arrest, while Edwards says several times: 'You're on my pelvis, bro, you're on my pelvis… You're violating my rights.' 'I know I was targeted. I know there was times where this could have been de-escalated, and instead, it escalated,' Edwards told WNYT. In the video, Edwards can be heard telling Gamache, 'This is harassment,' after the officer pulled up to his home. Gamache responded by asking rhetorically, 'Do you know what is harassment?' and then answering his own question, saying, 'It is not harassment.' But isn't it though? If everything Edwards claimed happened in his suit is true, a cop got so upset that a civilian honked his horn at him that he spun the block, followed the motorist to his home, and purported to approach him because of how he was parked temporarily in front of his own home while clearly moving his trash cans out of the way. Was Edwards followed, approached and ultimately arrested because he was a danger to society? No. By his account, accompanied by what we can see on camera, all of this happened to Edwards because he bruised a cop's fragile blue ego, and that cop used the power of his position to exact instant revenge. One might argue that it's not smart to honk at an officer, especially knowing their propensity for this kind of harassment. And, of course, a bootlicker will argue that Edwards got himself arrested by being combative. But cops shouldn't be able to arrest someone just for talking back — especially when they're being harassed in front of their own home and then gaslit about that harassment — and they shouldn't be able to make retaliatory stops over a thing motorists do in traffic every single day. 'The end game, honestly, recognition, I guess, to show people that this is unjust,' Edwards told WNYT when asked what he hopes to accomplish with his lawsuit. 'Just beeping your horn at a cop to let him know the light's changed? We do this all the time as American citizens.' According to Newsweek, Edwards, who said he suffered physical injuries, emotional distress, and financial losses due to the arrest, 'is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, claiming multiple constitutional violations including false arrest, excessive force, and malicious prosecution.' SEE ALSO: New York AG Letitia James Wins Lawsuit Over Trump's Medical Funding Cuts, Which Judge Called 'Government Racial Discrimination' Black Man Found Hanging From A Tree In New York, Police Call It Suicide SEE ALSO Black Man Files Lawsuit Accusing NY Cop Of Harassing, Arresting Him For Honking Horn At Green Light was originally published on
Boston Globe
18 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Michael Cardozo, 84, New York City's longest-serving chief lawyer, dies
'Some people thought I was going to be a lawyer from the day I was born,' he told Advertisement From 1996 to 1998, Cardozo served as president of the New York City Bar Association, which was established in 1870 to ferret out corruption in the court system. One of its first investigations led to the resignation of Albert Cardozo, a state Supreme Court justice who was Benjamin Cardozo's father. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Michael Cardozo was a partner at Proskauer Rose (formerly Proskauer, Rose, Goetz & Mendelsohn) when he was appointed as the city's corporation counsel by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2002. He stepped down in 2014, returning to Proskauer after setting a record for longevity in that municipal role, which was established in 1839. As corporation counsel, Cardozo presided over almost 700 lawyers, who juggled a caseload of some 80,000 lawsuits and other legal matters at the city's Law Department. Advertisement As the city government's top lawyer, he successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2007 that the federal courts could resolve disputes between localities and foreign governments over delinquent property taxes. The case, Permanent Mission of India v. City of New York, involved the Indian and Mongolian missions to the United Nations in New York. Cardozo successfully oversaw the case in which a federal judge ruled in 2009 that legislation by the City Council enabled Bloomberg to seek a third term, despite limits imposed by the city charter. He also defended the Police Department's stop-and-frisk strategy, whose critics said it disproportionately singled out Black and Hispanic men (the tactics were ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in 2013). He defended a city policy of inspecting carry-on bags in the subway; argued in favor of a provision that would have allowed the city to borrow $2.5 billion to pay off 1970s-era debt; and argued, again successfully, for the city's right to impose smoking bans in bars and restaurants as well as additional gun controls. In 2019, back at Proskauer, Cardozo represented Judith Clark, the getaway driver in a 1981 robbery of a Brink's armored car in Rockland County, New York, in her efforts to win parole after serving 37 years in prison. She won the case. Cardozo retired from the law firm in 2022, a month after Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York named him to the state ethics commission. In a recent statement on Instagram, Bloomberg said he had recruited Cardozo 'not only for his sharp legal acumen, but also for his unassailable integrity and lifelong commitment to the city's civic health.' Michael Alan Cardozo was born June 28, 1941, in Manhattan. His mother, Lucile (Lebair) Cardozo, was a school administrator; his father, Harmon Cardozo, was a real estate executive. Advertisement Cardozo grew up on the West Side of Manhattan and in Westport, Connecticut. After graduating from Staples High School in Westport, he earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Brown University in 1963 and a Juris Doctor degree from Columbia Law School in 1966. He went on to clerk for Judge Edward C. McLean of U.S. District Court in Manhattan and then joined Proskauer in 1967; he became a partner in 1974. When David Stern, a law school classmate who was also a partner at the firm, was named commissioner of the NBA in 1984, Cardozo began representing the NBA, and later MLS and the NHL as well. In 2002, as the city's new corporation counsel, Cardozo inherited a department that was scattered in dozens of locations after being displaced the year before by the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, which was a block from the main office. At the Law Department, he created new divisions that focused on volunteer work and specialized in labor law and other issues, and he refused to settle suits against the city that were deemed frivolous. 'We certainly want to send the message,' he told The New York Times in 2013, 'that if you don't bring what we view to be a meritorious case, you're going to have a big battle on your hands.' During his time with the Law Department, the city settled a number of lawsuits involving police abuse and also defended against challenges to the beefed-up security it imposed after the 9/11 attack. Reflecting on his tenure as the city's chief legal officer, Cardozo told students at Columbia Law School in a 2014 lecture that in defending or enforcing existing laws on behalf of the city, he was sometimes compelled to take a stance that he may have disagreed with personally. One example, he said, was when the city appealed a court ruling declaring that the state's prohibition on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Advertisement In addition to his daughter Sheryl, Cardozo is survived by his wife, Nancy (Cogut) Cardozo, whom he married in 1965; another daughter, Hedy Cardozo; and three grandchildren. Cardozo was particularly focused on the judicial system. He lobbied for higher pay for judges, who were overworked, he said. (At one point, he was a member of the New York State Commission on Legislative, Judicial and Executive Compensation.) And he expressed frustration with the court system over what he called its repeated delays in trial decisions. In 2009, he said publicly that the 'entire culture' of the judicial system 'must be changed' to 'improve judicial accountability and, with it, judicial performance.' For those comments, he was rebuked in a letter published in The New York Law Journal and signed by 18 of 20 state Supreme Court justices. In an online tribute after Cardozo's death, Bret Parker, the executive director of the New York City Bar Association, singled out Cardozo's 'long-standing commitment to the rule of law and tireless advocacy for an independent judiciary.' This article originally appeared in
