Crime
Court orders 4 Milwaukee men to stand trial for killing man outside hotel lobby
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Four Milwaukee hotel employees accused of killing a man in June by pinning him to the bottom must stand trial on a murder charge, a court official ordered Monday.
Hyatt hotel security guards Todd Erickson and Brandon Turner, in addition to baggage handler Herbert Williamson and front desk clerk Devin Johnson-Carson, are charged with accessory after the very fact to murder in reference to the crime. (*4*)Death of D’Vontaye Mitchell.
If convicted, each faces up to 15 years and nine months in prison.
Mitchell’s family’s attorneys compared his death to murder George Floyda black man who died in 2020 after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for about nine minutes. Mitchell was also black. Court documents discover Erickson as white, and Turner, Williamson and Johnson-Carson as black.
Milwaukee County District Court Commissioner Rosa Barillas committed all 4 to trial after a joint preliminary hearing. Court commissioners are attorneys hired by Wisconsin judges to conduct pretrial hearings and other administrative duties.
All 4 are scheduled to give statements on Thursday morning.
Johnson-Carson’s attorney, Craig Johnson, said he disagreed with the choice to proceed the case and intends to dispute any connection between Johnson-Carson’s actions and Mitchell’s death.
“This situation was a tragedy, but not every tragedy has a villain and not every tragedy is a crime,” the attorney said in an email to The Associated Press. “Mr. Johnson-Carson was responding to a volatile and potentially dangerous situation that could have endangered the safety of hotel staff and guests. His actions were not a crime and did not contribute to Mr. Mitchell’s death.”
Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office (*4*)ruled Mitchell’s death a homicide.
Attorneys for Erickson and Turner didn’t respond to messages searching for comment. Contact information for Williamson’s attorney, listed in online court documents as Theodore O’Reilly, couldn’t immediately be found.
Mitchell died on June 30. According to the criminal grievance, surveillance and bystander footage shows Mitchell running into the lobby of a downtown hotel that afternoon and entering a women’s restroom. Two women later told investigators that Mitchell tried to lock them in the lavatory.
Turner and a hotel guest dragged Mitchell out of the constructing and onto the hotel driveway, the grievance said. Turner, Erickson, Williamson and Johnson-Carson pinned Mitchell down for eight to nine minutes, while Mitchell begged them to stop and complained he couldn’t breathe.
Williamson told investigators he put his knee on Mitchell’s back, adding that Mitchell was forceful, couldn’t calm down and tried to bite Erickson.
Turner told investigators he thought Mitchell was on drugs, Erickson told them he did nothing to intentionally hurt or kill Mitchell, and Johnson-Carson told them not one of the hotel employees thought Mitchell had stopped respiratory, according to the grievance. Johnson-Carson added that at one point he told Williamson to stop pushing, and Williamson stopped.
When police and emergency services arrived, Mitchell was still motionless, the grievance said.
According to the grievance, the Milwaukee County Coroner’s Office determined that Mitchell suffered from morbid obesity and heart disease, and had cocaine and methamphetamine in his system.
After reviewing video of the incident, Assistant Medical Examiner Lauren Decker determined that Mitchell suffered “restraint asphyxiation” due to the employees holding his legs, arms, back and head, essentially stopping Mitchell from respiratory.
Aimbridge Hospitality, the corporate that manages the hotel, laid off 4 employees in July.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump announced Monday that Mitchell’s family had reached a confidential settlement with Hyatt. Aimbridge Hospitality officials confirmed the agreement.
“The settlement announced today is the result of honest discussions with representatives of D’Vontaye Mitchell’s family to provide the family with comfort in their grieving this tragic loss,” Ambridge Hospitality said in a press release.
Featured Stories
New York authorities have identified 26-year-old Luigi Mangione as an individual of interest in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
According to police, a McDonald’s worker recognized Mangione in a photograph taken by NYPD Crime Stoppers and called authorities to report that he was eating at the restaurant, which led to his arrest.
Police say Mangione was carrying an anti-corporate manifesto, false identification and a ghost gun.
“It fits the description we were looking for,” Mayor Eric Adams said. An early NYPD report drew criticism online for calling the suspect a “light-skinned male” fairly than simply saying he was white.
The New York Post reports that Mangione previously attended the University of Pennsylvania, was valedictorian of the highschool in 2016 and had ties to Towson, Maryland. His social media posts indicate motivation related to dissatisfaction with the health care industry.
The shooting gained national attention because of the lukewarm response to Thompson’s death from many voters, who criticized the high insurance denial rate and greed that contributed to the American loss of life.
NYPD officers will now travel to Pennsylvania to query Mangione. Watch the entire press conference below:
Iroc Avelli, OJ Simpson’s former bodyguard, claimed to have a recording of the late NFL player admitting to killing Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. According to .evaluation of the audio recording showed the claim to be false.
In June 2024, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) contacted the Bloomington, Minnesota police department to realize access to thumb drives confiscated during Avelli’s 2022 arrest.
Bloomington Police Department arrested Avelli for alleged assault in 2022; upon arrest, the police seized Avelli’s backpack and obtained an order to gather relevant evidence on the scene. The backpack contained multiple flash drives that the previous security guard said contained Simpson’s confessions.
According to Peasant! News“search warrant filed in Hennepin County requested by Officer George Harms seek for image pendrives in order that “a full forensic examination could possibly be carried out on all of the pendrives to acquire the recording.”
The Bloomington Police Department didn’t return the drives, opting as an alternative to conduct an internal forensic examination. After a digital forensics specialist examined the drives, Bloomington police didn’t disclose any information of “probative value” to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The further investigation into the Simpson and Goldman murders is strange because on October 3, 1995, OJ Simpson was acquitted of all charges. The former San Francisco 49er maintained his innocence until his death from cancer on April 11, 2024.
After his acquittal, OJ Simpson continued to benefit from his fame. In 1996, the Buffalo Bills player published a book titled If I Did It: Confessions of a Killer. Many found the book’s title and content distasteful and criticized it Naked weapon the actor’s constant presence in celebrity culture.
However, many individuals imagine that Simpson’s acquittal ought to be enough to just accept his presence in all spaces. BLACK ENTERPRISES reports on rapper Cam’Ron’s response to criticism after Simpson was invited on his sports show before his death.
The It is what it’s the host and businessman believes that the accusations – proven in court – shouldn’t result in ostracization. Cam’Ron believes that Simpson’s race may have played a job in continuously questioning his innocence throughout his life.
“Look, if he was guilty, we wouldn’t have him on the show,” he said. “You wish to proceed convicting an innocent man. He is innocent. If it was another person, whiter, you’d all say, “Oh, he’s innocent.” TO BE reported.
It appears that the hearings and investigation into Orenthol James Simpson’s role, or lack thereof, in his ex-wife’s murder will proceed even after his death.
Tatisha Refuge, a 47-year-old New Orleans resident, turned herself in to authorities after the death of 3-year-old Rudy Ratliff. Refuge is charged with “manslaughter by negligence.”
Rudy’s mother, Leshawn Ratliff, lives in Texas but visited Refuge, her foster mother, in the previous few days of Thanksgiving. Nov 8 News.
“I came here on Saturday to pick up my older son. He was here over Thanksgiving break, and I came down on Saturday to pick him up so we could go home on Sunday and they could go back to school on Monday.” Ratliff he said.
While playing UNO, Refuge’s unsecured gun fell from her belt and fired, striking Rudy. Ratliff she recounted how the scene unfolded when she discovered Rudy had been shot.
“I began seeing blood coming out of his chest. That’s once I knew he had been shot. So I called 911.
The mother didn’t wish to wait for 911. Instead, she decided to take Rudy to University Medical Center for treatment. She said that after they arrived at the ability, Rudy seemed to be alive. Unfortunately, 20 minutes later she was informed of his death.
Tatisha Refuge has been charged with negligent homicide within the shooting death of 3-year-old Rudy Ratliff. #Khou11 @AmandaHTV
https://t.co/BFIeGhAHYG— KHOU 11 Houston News (@KHOU) December 4, 2024
Ratliff she nurtured her relationship with Refuge and is torn now that the accusations involve her foster mother.
“It was a random shooting. His grandfather’s gun fell. It wasn’t within the secure. It wasn’t within the gun position. I believe it went into the pocket and fell out and shot my son,” Ratliff said. “I understand it was a mistake. I imagine in my heart that it was a mistake. I just don’t understand. I just don’t understand.
The grieving mother began a GoFundMe and is asking the general public for help with Rudy’s burial. To support the Ratliff family of their time of need, click here.
Can’t-Miss January Game Releases, Unexpected Horror on Steam, and More Top Stories of the Week
First black lottery operator
An attempt to save the image of Jeff Bezos’ future wife backfired after weeks of outrage and ridicule over her skimpy outfit
Literacy materials being withdrawn from many schools are facing new pressure from parents of children with reading difficulties
At the beginning of the war, I interviewed Syrian militias – they will listen if other countries get involved in their activities
CEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
U.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
The Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
Another lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
Byron Allen on the Truths of Black America | theGrio Awards 2023
Attorney General Eric Holder Takes on Voter ID Laws
Amanda Seales joins The Grio Live to talk comedy, Insecure and her controversial statements
Kamala Harris – Speak Truth to Inspire Trust
Jonshel Alexander Child Actor in ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ Killed at 22 | Grio (*22*) 3
-
Press Release10 months agoCEO of 360WiSE Launches Mentorship Program in Overtown Miami FL
-
Press Release10 months agoU.S.-Africa Chamber of Commerce Appoints Robert Alexander of 360WiseMedia as Board Director
-
Business and Finance8 months agoThe Importance of Owning Your Distribution Media Platform
-
Business and Finance10 months ago360Wise Media and McDonald’s NY Tri-State Owner Operators Celebrate Success of “Faces of Black History” Campaign with Over 2 Million Event Visits
-
Ben Crump10 months agoAnother lawsuit accuses Google of bias against Black minority employees
-
Theater10 months agoTelling the story of the Apollo Theater
-
Ben Crump10 months agoHenrietta Lacks’ family members reach an agreement after her cells undergo advanced medical tests
-
Ben Crump10 months agoThe families of George Floyd and Daunte Wright hold an emotional press conference in Minneapolis