The Milwaukee Police Department has forwarded criminal charges to the district attorney's office regarding the death of D’Vontaye Mitchell, an African American man who was restrained by hotel security guards last month.

According to authorities, the police department referred felony murder charges, accompanied by charges of battery, against four individuals involved in the incident.

Heather Hough, chief of staff for the police department, clarified that the referral of charges signifies that law enforcement believes there is probable cause. However, the final decision rests with the district attorney's office.

NBC News reached out to Milwaukee County District Attorney John T. Chisholm for comment, but his office indicated via email that there have been no updates on the case, and the investigation remains ongoing.

Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, representing Mitchell's family, expressed appreciation for the referral of charges, characterizing it as a significant step toward justice. In a statement, Crump emphasized the gravity of the actions that led to Mitchell's untimely death and urged the district attorney's office to formally file these charges to ensure accountability for those involved.

Mitchell, aged 43, had visited the downtown Hyatt Regency hotel on June 30. Police reports indicate he had caused a disturbance, leading to an altercation with security guards who attempted to escort him out. The situation escalated, resulting in Mitchell being pinned face down on the ground outside the hotel until police intervention.

Video footage of the incident captured Mitchell being detained by four hotel security guards. During the footage, one of the guards, upon noticing a bystander filming, commented, "This is what happens when you go into the ladies' room!"

In the video, Mitchell can be heard pleading for assistance, saying, "Please! Help! Please! I’m sorry," although the events leading up to this moment remain unclear.

The preliminary cause of Mitchell's death, according to the Milwaukee County medical examiner, was deemed homicide, pending final autopsy results.

At Mitchell's funeral, Reverend Al Sharpton addressed mourners, drawing parallels between Mitchell's death and the tragic case of George Floyd, underscoring concerns about excessive use of force against Black individuals by law enforcement and security personnel.

Mitchell’s mother, Brenda Giles, expressed her belief that her son was experiencing a mental health episode at the time of the incident, according to statements from Crump. The attorney condemned Mitchell's death as disturbing and reminiscent of George Floyd's tragic death in May 2020, when Minneapolis police officers knelt on his neck for nearly ten minutes, despite Floyd's pleas that he couldn't breathe.

In his statement on July 3, Crump cited witness reports indicating that a security guard had struck Mitchell in the head with an object during the altercation.

Responding to the incident, a spokesperson for Hyatt confirmed earlier this week that the involved employees had been suspended pending investigation. Aimbridge Hospitality, the hotel's management company, announced on Wednesday that several employees implicated in the incident had been terminated.

In a formal statement, a spokesperson for Aimbridge Hospitality acknowledged that the behavior exhibited by these employees violated company policies and procedures, and did not reflect the values expected from their associates. The company pledged to continue its independent investigation and to fully cooperate with law enforcement's inquiries into this tragic event.

The spokesperson did not disclose specific details regarding the number of employees terminated or their positions within the company.