A Call for Justice
Chants of “Justice for D’Vontaye” filled Milwaukee’s Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ on Thursday, as family and friends gathered for the funeral of D’Vontaye Mitchell, a Black man who died after being pinned to the ground by security guards outside a Milwaukee hotel. The family vowed to pursue charges against those responsible for his death.
The Incident
Mitchell, 43, died on June 30 after being held down on his stomach outside the hotel. According to police, he had entered the hotel, caused a disturbance, and fought with the guards as they escorted him out. A medical examiner has indicated that the preliminary cause of death was homicide, but the investigation is ongoing, and no one has been criminally charged yet.
Family’s Determination
“We’re going to fight. We’re not going to give up,” Mitchell’s mother, Brenda Giles, said during the service. Family members and their lawyers reviewed hotel surveillance footage provided by the district attorney’s office, which they said showed Mitchell being chased inside the hotel by security guards and then dragged outside, where he was beaten.
Company Response
Aimbridge Hospitality, the company managing the hotel, announced that several employees involved in Mitchell’s death had been fired. “The conduct we saw from several associates on June 30 violated our policies and procedures and does not reflect our values as an organization,” an Aimbridge Hospitality spokesperson said. The company has pledged to support law enforcement in their investigation.
Rev. Al Sharpton’s Eulogy
Rev. Al Sharpton, who delivered the eulogy, argued that job terminations were insufficient. “You should not lose just your job when D’Vontaye lost his life,” he said. “What they did was a crime, and criminals need to be prosecuted. We’re not asking for an apology. We’re asking for justice.”
