- Herbert Williamson’s plea deal reduces charge from felony murder to misdemeanor battery
- Mitchell died after 9-minute restraint by four hotel employees
- Medical examiners cite suffocation despite preexisting health conditions
- Case becomes Milwaukee’s second high-profile restraint death since 2020
In a pivotal development for Milwaukee’s criminal justice landscape, former Hyatt Regency bellhop Herbert Williamson avoided a potential 15-year prison sentence by pleading guilty to battery charges on Thursday. The case stems from the June 2024 death of 34-year-old D’Vontaye Mitchell, who lost consciousness during an altercation involving multiple hotel staffers. Surveillance footage reveals Mitchell being pinned facedown for eight minutes and 45 seconds – a timeframe eerily mirroring the duration of George Floyd’s fatal police encounter.
Legal analysts note this plea bargain strategically positions Williamson as a witness against co-defendants Brandon Turner, Todd Erickson, and Devin Johnson-Carson. Turner’s recent guilty plea to felony murder charges suggests prosecutors are building a tiered accountability model. Hotel security experts highlight systemic failures, noting the absence of de-escalation training logs for Aimbridge Hospitality employees involved.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s report complicates prosecution efforts, documenting Mitchell’s 380-pound frame and active cocaine metabolites. However, forensic pathologists emphasize that positional asphyxia remains the definitive cause of death regardless of substance use. Community organizers point to Wisconsin’s 37% rise in restraint-related deaths since 2020 as evidence of inadequate use-of-force regulations for private security personnel.
Mitchell’s family attorneys drew national attention by comparing the hotel driveway incident to George Floyd’s murder, though race dynamics differ among defendants. Three of the four charged employees are Black, while Erickson identifies as white. This demographic nuance challenges straightforward racial narratives while underscoring broader debates about power structures in hospitality security.
With Turner’s sentencing and Johnson-Carson’s plea hearing pending, legal observers anticipate precedent-setting outcomes for private sector liability in restraint deaths. The case has already prompted 14 Milwaukee hotels to revise guest removal protocols, mandating third-party security firm involvement during conflicts.