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Hundreds turned out for the funeral of a man Thursday who died at a downtown Milwaukee hotel last week while he was being restrained by hotel security."See, this is a celebration of life," said Pastor Valerie Daniels-Carter Thursday at the start of the funeral for D'Vontaye Mitchell at Holy Redeemer Church in Milwaukee. Family members called the 43-year-old a teddy bear and said his life mattered."It cannot be swept under the rug. I will not let it be swept under the rug," said Mitchell's mother, Brenda Giles. "We're going to do this, and we need everybody all in one. We need to be united to do this."Video shows four hotel workers holding Mitchell face down in the carport area June 30. When police arrived and they moved the men off, Mitchell was no longer breathing. Despite rescue efforts by police and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.Nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the family of George Floyd, is representing the family. Crump and spoke also spoke at Mitchells funeral while holding a collapsable baton similar to one he said a security guard used to strike Mitchell. "You know, George Floyd, they had their knee on his neck, but they didn't hit and punch and kick George Floyd, and they didn't hit him with a billy club, so in many ways, this is just as egregious as what happened to George Floyd," Crump said.Crump called on civil rights leader, the Rev. Al Sharpton, to deliver Mitchell's eulogy. Sharptons remarks focused on a call for criminal charges, saying firing the workers isn't nearly enough."What they did was a crime. And criminals need to be prosecuted, and criminals need to face the penalty of their actions," Sharpton said. "This wasn't a mistake at the job. This was taking somebody's life, and there's no justice until you've paid for the life you've taken."Sharpton said it's not lost on anyone that this happened just days before the Republican National Convention that begins Monday in Milwaukee."I know you all got a crowd coming to town talk about make America great again. When was it great? When was it great, and who was it great for?" Sharpton asked.Sharpton said people need to think of the consequences before something like Mitchell's death happens again."If you had known these activists were going to stand up and march and get T-shirts, you'd have took your knee off his neck," Sharpton said, as if the Hyatt workers were listening. "If you'd have thought Ben Crump was coming, if you'd have thought I was going to show up at the funeral, you'd have took your knee off his neck."Sharpton announced his National Action Network was covering the cost of funeral expenses and was donating $5,000 to each of Mitchells two children, an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son, to be used for their education."I want us to stand with these two children so they will know that their father meant something," Sharpton said. "I want these children to remember the day that everyone in the community came and remembered their daddy." Milwaukee police confirmed for 12 News Thursday that they are "referring four individuals for felony murder charges."Any determination on charging will be up to the District Attorney's office. They have repeatedly said they'll likely wait on the results of the autopsy report before deciding which charges, if any, to file. The hotels operator, Aimbridge Hospitality, issued a statement late Thursday, saying "several" employees involved have been fired since Mitchells death. The statement goes on to say, "The conduct we saw from several associates on June 30 violated our policies and procedures, and does not reflect our values as an organization or the behaviors we expect from our associates."

Hundreds turned out for the funeral of a man Thursday who died at a downtown Milwaukee hotel last week while he was being restrained by hotel security.

"See, this is a celebration of life," said Pastor Valerie Daniels-Carter Thursday at the start of the funeral for D'Vontaye Mitchell at Holy Redeemer Church in Milwaukee.

Family members called the 43-year-old a teddy bear and said his life mattered.

"It cannot be swept under the rug. I will not let it be swept under the rug," said Mitchell's mother, Brenda Giles. "We're going to do this, and we need everybody all in one. We need to be united to do this."

Video shows four hotel workers holding Mitchell face down in the carport area June 30.

When police arrived and they moved the men off, Mitchell was no longer breathing. Despite rescue efforts by police and paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the family of George Floyd, is representing the family. Crump and spoke also spoke at Mitchells funeral while holding a collapsable baton similar to one he said a security guard used to strike Mitchell.

"You know, George Floyd, they had their knee on his neck, but they didn't hit and punch and kick George Floyd, and they didn't hit him with a billy club, so in many ways, this is just as egregious as what happened to George Floyd," Crump said.

Crump called on civil rights leader, the Rev. Al Sharpton, to deliver Mitchell's eulogy. Sharptons remarks focused on a call for criminal charges, saying firing the workers isn't nearly enough.

"What they did was a crime. And criminals need to be prosecuted, and criminals need to face the penalty of their actions," Sharpton said. "This wasn't a mistake at the job. This was taking somebody's life, and there's no justice until you've paid for the life you've taken."

Sharpton said it's not lost on anyone that this happened just days before the Republican National Convention that begins Monday in Milwaukee.

"I know you all got a crowd coming to town talk about make America great again. When was it great? When was it great, and who was it great for?" Sharpton asked.

Sharpton said people need to think of the consequences before something like Mitchell's death happens again.

"If you had known these activists were going to stand up and march and get T-shirts, you'd have took your knee off his neck," Sharpton said, as if the Hyatt workers were listening. "If you'd have thought Ben Crump was coming, if you'd have thought I was going to show up at the funeral, you'd have took your knee off his neck."

Sharpton announced his National Action Network was covering the cost of funeral expenses and was donating $5,000 to each of Mitchells two children, an 8-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son, to be used for their education.

"I want us to stand with these two children so they will know that their father meant something," Sharpton said. "I want these children to remember the day that everyone in the community came and remembered their daddy."

Milwaukee police confirmed for 12 News Thursday that they are "referring four individuals for felony murder charges."

Any determination on charging will be up to the District Attorney's office. They have repeatedly said they'll likely wait on the results of the autopsy report before deciding which charges, if any, to file.

The hotels operator, Aimbridge Hospitality, issued a statement late Thursday, saying "several" employees involved have been fired since Mitchells death. The statement goes on to say, "The conduct we saw from several associates on June 30 violated our policies and procedures, and does not reflect our values as an organization or the behaviors we expect from our associates."

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The Rev. Al Sharpton gives eulogy for Milwaukee man who died at Hyatt - WISN Milwaukee