The Black church has long stepped in to offer its support and push for justice when members of the community are killed. So when Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, preached the eulogy for D’Vontaye Mitchell in Milwaukee on July 11, he also announced the firing of the security guards allegedly responsible for Mitchell’s death.
During the service at Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God in Christ in Milwaukee, Sharpton declared the perpetrators should not just lose their jobs given that Mitchell lost his life.
“What they did was a crime and criminals need to be prosecuted. Criminals need to face the penalty of their actions. This was not a mistake at the job, this was somebody taking somebody’s life. And there is no justice until you pay for the life you’ve taken,” according to a statement.
Mitchell died June 30 at the Hyatt Regency in Milwaukee after entering the hotel during a mental health crisis. It was alleged that Mitchell, 43, started an altercation when the security guards tried to escort him out. Cell phone videos show Mitchell was pinned down by the knees of the guards on his back and neck, and witness accounts confirmed this.
Witnesses said Mitchell pleaded with the guards to stop constraining him and said, “I’m sorry,” at least twice.
“It is deeply troubling that we have lost another Black man in an encounter with security personnel, raising serious concerns about the use of force, lack of accountability, and absence of mental health considerations.
The circumstances surrounding D’Vontaye’s death outside the Hyatt Regency Hotel are disturbing and as described by a witness, reminiscent of the killing of George Floyd,” civil rights attorney Ben Crump said in a statement.
“D’Vontaye’s family is now left searching for answers and justice in the face of this tragic loss. We demand a thorough and transparent investigation into the actions of the security guards involved in this incident. It is unacceptable that this case is not being considered a criminal investigation despite the fatal outcome, which the medical examiner considers a homicide. The fight for justice for D’Vontaye Mitchell has just begun, and we will not rest until those responsible are held accountable.”
There’s a lot going on in this country, but nothing more important than what they did to D’Vontaye, and I didn’t want to send word, I wanted to come myself,” Sharpton said.
“I thought after George Floyd and we fought until three cops went to jail, I thought y’all learned you can’t put your knee on our necks, but if we gotta go from Minneapolis to Milwaukee, you gone learn to keep your knees off our necks,” Sharpton explained.
“We’re going to fight,” Mitchell’s mother, Brenda Giles, said at the service. “We’re not going to give up.”
