Family reaches agreement with hotel; suspects must go to court: NPR

Nearly two months after 43-year-old black man D'Vontaye Mitchell died during his arrest by security guards at a Hyatt Regency hotel in Milwaukee, his family and lawyers announced that they had reached an agreement with the hotel operator.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump and attorneys B'Ivory Lamarr and Will Sulton said in a joint statement Monday that attorneys had been engaged in “good faith discussions” over the past few weeks to reach a resolution for Mitchell's family.

“We are pleased to announce that we have reached an amicable settlement,” the lawyers said, adding that all parties “are pleased to have been able to settle this matter out of court.”

In their statement, the lawyers declined to disclose the amount of the settlement because the terms remain confidential.

Aimbridge Hospitality, the Hyatt's third-party provider, did not respond to NPR's request for comment. A spokesperson for the Texas-based hotel group told local television station WISN 12 News that the settlement was the result of “good faith discussions” with Mitchell's family.

The hospitality group said the goal of the settlement was to provide comfort to Mitchell's family, who continue to mourn his loss.

4 men must appear in court

News of the family's settlement comes after the four workers accused of killing Mitchell faced murder charges on Monday.

Todd Erickson and Brandon Turner, former security guards at the Hyatt hotel, as well as Herbert Williamson and Devin Johnson-Carson are each charged with aiding and abetting premeditated murder, The Associated Press reported.

If convicted, the four men face up to 15 years in prison each. According to AP, they are expected to appear in court again on Thursday.

According to Milwaukee police, Mitchell died sometime after 3 p.m. on June 30 after an altercation with security guards outside the hotel entrance.

A witness reported seeing three or four hotel employees “pressing their knees on Mitchell's neck and back, one of whom struck him on the head with an object,” attorney Ben Crump's office said after the first incident.

Video footage posted online shows security guards pressing Mitchell's body against the pavement while he lies face down.

The security guards involved in the incident were initially suspended, but a Hyatt spokesperson told NPR on July 10 that they would be fired and face criminal charges later.