Travel
4 hotel workers charged with accessory to murder in connection with death of black man
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Prosecutors on Tuesday charged 4 Milwaukee hotel employees with accessory after the very fact to murder in connection with the death of D’Vontaye Mitchell.
Mitchell was black. The incident has drawn comparisons to the 2020 murder of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into his neck for about nine minutes. Floyd’s death sparked a nationwide depending on race that has been marked by protests across the country.
Charged are hotel security guard Todd Erickson, front desk clerk Devin Johnson-Carson, baggage handler Herbert Williamson and security guard Brandon Turner. Each faces up to 15 years and nine months in prison if convicted.
Erickson was reached by phone Tuesday evening. Erickson referred a request for comment to his attorney, Michael Steinle, who didn’t respond to voicemails or emails.
It was unclear whether any of the opposite three employees had lawyers. Online court records didn’t list any of them Tuesday evening. Williamson’s phone records have been disconnected, and The Associated Press couldn’t immediately locate phone numbers or other contact information for Johnson-Carson or Turner.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release that arrest warrants had been issued for all 4 employees. The office and the Milwaukee Police Department didn’t immediately respond to emails asking if the workers had been arrested or had attorneys.
According to a criminal grievance, 4 employees dragged Mitchell from the Hyatt on June 30 after Mitchell went into the ladies’s bathroom and held him on his stomach for eight or nine minutes. One worker told investigators that Mitchell was having trouble respiratory and was repeatedly asking for help, according to the grievance.
An autopsy showed Mitchell was morbidly obese and had used cocaine and methamphetamine, the grievance said.
Hyatt surveillance footage shows Mitchell frantically running into the hotel lobby after which into the gift shop before entering the ladies’s restroom, the grievance says. Just a few seconds later, a lady comes out and Turner, who was off-duty but visiting with staff, drags Mitchell out of the lavatory and into the lobby by his shirt.
The two begin to struggle, and Turner punches Mitchell, knocking him to the ground. He then punches Mitchell six times and drags him out of the hotel with the assistance of a bystander. Mitchell gets up and tries to get back inside.
Williamson, Johnson-Carson and Erickson, who was acting as a security guard, join the fight. He and Turner hold Mitchell in a prone position for eight to nine minutes before police and paramedics arrive. During that point, Mitchell is seen on video trying to break free several times, and Erickson hits him with a baton before he eventually stops moving, according to the grievance.
A video recording taken by a witness shows Mitchell groaning and saying he was sorry. An autopsy showed Mitchell was morbidly obese and had cocaine and methamphetamine in his system.
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The health worker ultimately determined that Mitchell died of “asphyxia due to restraint.” He might need survived if workers had allowed him to turn onto his side, the health worker said, according to the grievance.
Erickson told investigators that Mitchell was very strong and resisted them and tried to bite him. But the guard said he never did anything to intentionally hurt or harm Mitchell.
Turner told the detective he heard women screaming in the lavatory after Mitchell entered and thought Mitchell was high. At one point, while the group was holding Mitchell down, he pulled Mitchell’s clothes away from his face, he said, according to the grievance.
Johnson-Carson told investigators that Mitchell was “not in a mentally stable state” and was speaking “in gibberish,” the grievance says.
He said he remembers Mitchell saying “stop” and “why” and something about respiratory while he was being held down. He told Williamson to stop pushing, which he did. Johnson-Carson said Mitchell showed “obvious signs of extreme distress, including choking, difficulty breathing and repeated requests for help,” according to the grievance.
The grievance says the workers should have known Mitchell was in danger. “All of these factors, DM’s panting, his actions and words, the distress he was in, show that all four defendants knew that holding DM face down was ‘virtually certain’ to worsen his physical condition,” the grievance says.
Mitchell’s relatives and their attorneys had previously reviewed hotel surveillance footage provided by the district attorney’s office. They described seeing Mitchell being chased into the hotel by security guards after which dragged outside, where he was beaten.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is a component of the legal team representing Mitchell’s family, said video footage recorded by a bystander and circulating on social media shows security guards kneeling on Mitchell’s back and neck.
On Tuesday evening, Crump posted a press release on X calling the fees (*4*)
DeAsia Harmon, Mitchell’s widow, said Tuesday the choice was a relief. But she wondered why it took weeks.
“These people are on camera taking my husband’s life,” she said. “They should have been charged the moment they did it.”
Aimbridge Hospitality, the corporate that manages the hotel, previously said several employees involved in Mitchell’s death had been fired.
The company released a press release Tuesday evening saying it had fully cooperated with law enforcement and would proceed to cooperate with prosecutors. “Our hearts are with Mr. Mitchell’s family and loved ones as this matter moves forward,” the statement said.
The transport safety administration (TSA) warns travelers that electronics containing lithium-ion batteries aren’t any longer allowed in checked baggage. Summer Agency Advisor resembles a passengerS, that the ban is in force. Prohibited items include a cell phone Battery charging housings, lithium batteries, cellular batteries, laptop batteries, external batteries and portable batteries. However, travelers can still Bring these items in your bags.
“Stock (uninstalled) lithium-ion and lithium batteries, including power loading and cell phone, must only be worn in hand luggage. When the cache is checked on the gate or on the plane, all spare litter batteries and power supply should be removed from the bag and store with a passenger within the aircraft cabin, they have to be protected with a passenger circuses.
Tsa He implemented a ban Due to the hearth risk created after recent incidents including the exploding of lithium-ion batteries in flight. Officials determined that the overheated Bank of Power caused a hearth that broke out on a Russian plane in South Korea in January, which led to the evacuation of 179 passengers and 6 crew members. IN November 2024, a Southwest flight from Denver was forced to evacuate the passenger The phone caught fire.
Portable chargers and power supply can Experience thermal escapeby which the battery cell overheats all of sudden. Thermal escapes can occur if the battery is flawed, overheated, filled, incorrectly packed or exposed to water.
Air crews are trained to answer battery fires when it appears within the plane’s cabin. FAA encourages passengers Notify your air crew Immediately, if their devices overheat, expand, smoke or smoke in the course of the flight.
TSA reminds passengers of these changes before the brand new real identifier Travel requirements that got here into force on Wednesday, May 7. All passengers will need to have RIdentification in accordance with ID EAL Travel business flight. Real identifiers are marked with a star within the upper right corner. TSA states that passengers who present unreal identification in accordance with ID may face a further safety examination.
(Tagstotranslate) travel
Trump administration is promising Nationwide shortage of air traffic controllers after the last Mishaps from the control tower ia track of failure Early this yr.
You need a bigger number of controllers who direct planes to an increasingly crowded sky, will not be a brand new problem or one which shall be quickly solved.
How big is the lack of controllers?
The federal aviation administration has about 14,000 air traffic controllers. Last yr, over 1800, the largest number in almost a decade was employed, and the government is on the right track to rent much more this yr. Despite this, about 3,000 more is required to totally support the system.
What are the impact?
Talks meant that controllers were often forced to work compulsory time beyond regulation, sometimes six days every week. It led to Fear about fatigue After highly publicized close connections between planes, which were in keeping with the orders of the controllers. FAA agreed last summer to extend the minimum rest time between the changes. In some areas with high traffic, including New York and Florida, FAA The number of flights has been limited Due to the lack of controllers.
Why is 1000’s missing?
It is a demanding and stressful work with unpredictable hours and a high rotation indicator. Many don’t do it for the first few years. And experienced controllers are in the face of a compulsory retirement age of 56 years.
Is this just recent concern?
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association has been concerned for over a decade, telling Congress in 2015 that the deficiency was at the crisis level. He said then that Faa didn’t hit his targets of employment for five years in a row. The union again said last spring that the number of fully certified controllers fell by 10% from the place where it was 10 years ago.
What’
Is the Trump administration plan?
The administration desires to “unload” the controller’s working force and announced the program last week to speed up employment and provides the existing controller extra money in order to not retire. Since the training and certification of recent employees takes years, transport secretary Sean Duffy said that it could still take at the least three or 4 years to satisfy the current needs.
How to turn into a controller?
Most of them undergo several months of training at the FAA Academy in Oklahomie, although about a 3rd of the candidates not quite. Others learn to work in the army, and a handful of universities offers the same training at the Academy. Exercises then work as development controllers in towers at airports or radar centers until they’re ready for certification. This last step often takes two to 3 years.
What are the requirements?
FAA claims that interns have to be able to go anywhere in the US during work and weekends. Candidates have to be a US citizen, under 31 years old and might pass a medical exam, past control and skill assessment. FAA claims that lower than 10% of candidates are accepted for the training program.
(Tagstranslate) @Ap
Travel
Newark airport listed as “they are not safe” because the air traffic controller warns leaflets to leave
The air traffic controller warned that Newark airport is “not safe” for travelers because rage is delayed for a lot of days.
An unidentified aviation security employee told the NBC News Tom Costello correspondent that the international airport in Newark Liberty must be avoided “at all costs”. According to the second most busy airport in the New York region suffered many delays and appeal.
“This is not safe. It is not a safe situation for flying audience now,” Costello reminded the worker’s warnings.
Costello added: “A really amazing statement, unimaginated. He just told me and separately:” Don’t lie to Newark. Avoid Newark in any respect costs. “
Newark airport often sees over 40,000 passengers every single day, According to United Airlines. NY and NJ Port Authority Authority Dashboard Reported that the airport is the host of virtually 4 million passengers a yr.
However, the ongoing problems related to employees of the Federal Aviation Administration resulted in the delay of the airport. In addition to construction activities limiting its capabilities, the airport recorded 20% loss in air traffic controllers.
United announced the cancellation of 35 flights from the predominant center of the east coast to alleviate this problem for its passengers. The general director of United, Scott Kirby, has been revealed for years how the company is in favor of higher staff and technology in EWR.
“United is involved in doing absolutely everything in our power to minimize the influence that it will have on customers, which is why we unilaterally cancel 35 flights a day from our Newark schedule from this weekend,” Kirby said in a press release. “Further cuts are disappointing to the already reduced schedule in Newark, but because there is no way to solve the closest problems related to FAA work, we believe that there is no other choice to protect our clients.”
Kirby talked to the secretary for transport Sean Duffy with an urgent need for more air traffic controllers. Duffy also offered $ 5,000 bonuses for brand new employees because the system reaches its breakthrough.
“You start to see cracks in the system,” Duffy explained at a press conference on Thursday. “Our task is to see the horizon what problems are and fix them before the incident occurs, which we seriously regret.”
However, Trump’s administration implemented serious FAA cuts, because frequent leaflets apprehensive greater look after air failures. FAA continues to be delaying in the personnel of the air traffic controller, and airports like EWR are already feeling results.
Travelers in New York should proceed to change travel plans in the event that they include some flights to or from Newark airport.
(Tagstranslat) air traffic control (T) Neviark International Airport (T) Federal Aviation Administration
