On April 19, 2021, Mario Gonzalez, an unarmed 26-year-old Latino man, died while under police custody by the Alameda, California Police Department. [2] [3] [4] In their initial report of the incident, the department reported that Gonzalez died after a "scuffle" and "physical altercation" resulting in a "medical emergency." Alameda police pinned down Mario Gonzalez. The lawsuit cites a report released last week by the Alameda county coroners bureau that said the 19 April death of Mario Gonzalez was a homicide. Dec 13, 2021, 05:41 PM EST. He got depressed. In this image taken from Alameda Police Department body-camera video, officers pin Mario Gonzalez to the ground during an arrest on April 19, 2021, in Alameda, Calif. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Before and after photos from space show storms effect on California reservoirs, Dramatic before and after photos from space show epic snow blanketing SoCal mountains, The chance of a lifetime: Five friends ski the tallest mountain in Los Angeles, Best coffee city in the world? Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up, High school basketball: Southern California and Northern California Regional results and updated pairings, Opinion: How California came to treat UC Berkeley students noise as a dire environmental threat, Opinion: California gave up on mandating COVID vaccines for schoolchildren. Gonzalez, 26, died April 19, 2021, as he was being restrained outside 802 Oak St. in Alameda. Then officers can be seen putting Gonzalezs hands behind his back and pinning him facedown. CNNs Stella Chan contributed to this report. Little Mario will hold the officers who killed his Papi accountable in federal court, and we will fight for reforms so no other family will suffer the way Marios family has suffered from this completely preventable and senseless death., Andrea Cortez, the mother of Mario Gonzalezs child, added: Mario was a peaceful, calm person. In statements Wednesday, a Gonzalez lawyer and family member further decried police actions that led to his death. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. Alameda County prosecutors cited the coroners autopsy in their report earlier this month when they declined to find the officers criminally liable. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. All three remain on paid leave. There were also reports that someone stole liquor bottles from a nearby store. "He's hyperventilating, he's obese, apparently he's been drinking Officers need to recognize those factors and take them into consideration.". died after Alameda police officers restrained him on his stomach for five minutes, Lawyer Says Police Didn't Need To Arrest Man Who Died After Being Pinned To Ground. The officers approach to Mr Gonzalez detention and arrest and their use of force appeared reasonable under the circumstances, the report says. Gonzalezs family filed a legal claim against the city of Alameda last June, and their attorney told the news station KTVU they plan to file a federal lawsuit soon. The nearly hourlong video from two officers body cameras shows police talking to Gonzalez in a park after receiving 911 calls that he appeared to be disoriented or drunk. According to the toxicology report released, Gonzalez had .9 milligrams of meth per liter in his system. Once the officers had lawfully attempted to detain Mr. Gonzalez, he physically resisted their efforts the entire time until he ultimately became unresponsive, the district attorneys report says. Published Its been a long year, just the way weve been treated by the legal process., My brother was a human, he added. Mario Gonzalez, 26, died after Alameda police officers restrained him on his stomach for five minutes in a case that had echoes of the murder of George Floyd. Hes going unresponsive, one officer says. During the interaction with law enforcement agents, he was face-down on the ground (prone) with his hands handcuffed behind his back, and at times the officers were applying pressure to his torso and legs with at least some of the weight of their bodies. The toxicology report by Ascertain Forensics was conducted a month after Gonzalez's death, and his autopsy was signed by Alameda County Chief Forensic Pathologist Vivian S. Snyder on Sept. 25, records show. Police Chief Nishant Joshi extended condolences to Gonzalezs family in a statement. Mario Gonzalez, who died after being pinned to the ground by police officers in Alameda, California, was a father of a 4-year-old child. The APD took a calm situation and made it fatal.". He said he will soon file a federal lawsuit against the city and the officers involved. At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. 2023 FOX Television Stations, until THU 9:00 AM PST, Mendocino County Coast, until THU 8:00 AM PST, Carquinez Strait and Delta, from THU 12:00 AM PST until THU 9:00 AM PST, North Bay interior valleys, East Bay Interior Valleys, Santa Clara Valley including San Jose, Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest, from SAT 4:00 AM PST until SUN 4:00 PM PST, Southern Lake County, Northwestern Mendocino Interior, Northeastern Mendocino Interior, Southeastern Mendocino Interior, Northern Lake County, High Stakes: Sports Betting in California, originallytold the public that hehad died, Several experts have said that officers have long been trained, Teacher's TikTok plea helps clear thousands of dollars in school lunch debt, Study finds General Motors and Tesla have the most loyal customers, Instacart delivers after twin daughters almost make an $800 purchase, Bald eagles make home in unusual spot at Alameda golf course, Fishermen find remains of missing man inside shark. He adored our son and was a good father. Feds drop felony gun case days after defense argued SFPD illegally arrested, searched defendant Gonzalez died on the same day that the jury began deliberating in the George Floyd case, ultimately findingMinneapolis police officer Derick Chauvin guilty of murdering Floydlast May. The state DOJ told HuffPost that it is their understanding that the case is being handled at the local level.. Crime and Public Safety | Crime and Public Safety | It was not clear Friday if that had taken place. Heres how. An Alameda city spokesperson said Wednesday that the city had no additional comment beyond its statement earlier this month, acknowledging the district attorneys decision and saying it hoped the decision would move the citys independent investigation closer to an end. Tehama County Sheriffs Office resuming daytime patrols Sunday He was highly intoxicated in a public place, in a manner where he was unable to care for himself, Berry Wilkinson said. They did a tremendous job under difficult circumstances.". As with Floyd, officers are routinely trained not to restrain people the way they did Gonzalez, said multiple use-of-force experts who viewed the video at the AP's request. That's a huge boost for the Dubs, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. "Once they're controlling him, as we learned from the Floyd trial with all those medical experts, this position or compression is deadly," said Geoffrey Alpert, a professor of criminology at the University of South Carolina and an expert on police use of force. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The video shows that one officer put an elbow on his neck and a knee on his shoulder, while another appeared to put a knee on his back and leave it there for about four minutes as Gonzalez gasped for air, saying, "I didn't do nothing, OK? ", Alameda police officers try to revive Mario Gonzalez of Oakland after police restrained him, prone on the ground. The autopsy released eight months after the incident found that Mario Gonzalez died due to a heart attack during an April 19 struggle with police. Alameda County supervisors allow eviction moratorium to remain until end of April, Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Antioch: Homicide suspect arrested in Brentwood home, Tech, restaurant, logistics layoffs trigger more than 300 Bay Area job cuts, Denver gang member gave 14-year-old permission to open fire on woman with AR-15 after fender-bender, DA alleges, In 4 years, Lori Lightfoot went from breakout political star to divisive mayor of a Chicago beset by pandemic and crime, Florida lawmakers to consider expansion of so-called dont say gay law, Drone crashes at Disneyland after hovering over visitors heads See video, Rapper Travis Scott wanted for assaulting Manhattan club sound engineer, destroying $12K in equipment, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. His death was ruled a homicide but also linked to health and drug use, Oakland leaders are scrambling to tackle violence and attract police officers. Crime and Public Safety | This is the video released by police. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! A spokeswoman for the Alameda County DA's office declined to comment, citing its ongoing investigation of the case. The independent autopsy confirms what we all saw with our own eyes. Gonzalez's life began to unravel during the pandemic. Alameda police have made public body cam footage showing officers pinning a man to the ground for more than five minutes during an arrest last week that ended in his death. The district attorney called the officers detention, arrest and use of force in the Gonzalez case objectively reasonable considering the agency policies, the totality of the circumstances, and the officers stated rationale., The coroners autopsy listed Gonzalezs cause of death as a heart attack brought on by the struggle with officers, as well as morbid obesity, methamphetamine use and alcoholism. Alameda Officer Eric McKinley spoke to Gonzalez for nine minutes before he and two other officers tried to arrest him, with help from a civilian parking employee. ALAMEDA The death of an Oakland man who went unconscious while police held him to the ground was determined to be a homicide as a result of the altercation with officers, as well as methamphetamine use,and obesity, according to an autopsy made public this week. After Oakland man dies in custody, Alameda looks at possible changes in policing He stopped breathing in a park at the end of a cul-de-sac of well-kept homes with manicured gardens. I think you just had too much to drink today, OK? One officer puts his knee on Gonzalezs back for four minutes or more. This, in our view, is an unintended, unexpected death from the use of proper training and accepted techniques in the law enforcement industry.. The family also wants the California Department of Justice to investigate the police departments handling of the case. Gonzalezs death is under investigation by the Alameda County Sheriffs Office and the county district attorneys office. The nearly hourlong video from two officers body cameras shows police talking to Gonzalez in a park after receiving 911 calls that he appeared to be disoriented or drunk. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Wife of popular Wild 94.9 radio host JV says new information suggests he will not be coming back, Bay Area federal judge orders extradition of woman suspected of killing MSU student in hit-and-run, San Jose: Home raided as part of explosives and narcotics investigation, Police body camera video released a week after his death, filed a legal claim against the city of Alameda, have the autopsy reviewed by outside agencies, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life. Our family needs answers: Relatives call for swift transparency in mans death during arrest by Alameda police At a vigil last week on the first anniversary of Gonzalezs death, his younger brother, Jerry, spoke to a crowd of dozens of mourners in the park where he was killed. Former Pleasanton cop found not guilty of murder in DUI crash He said the lack of accountability for the police officers was bullcrap., We know that what happened wasnt right, Jerry said. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did., Earlier this month, the Alameda County district attorney announced. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Previously, she covered City Hall for Glendale News-Press, then part of Times Community News. Based on the totality of available information, including investigative, autopsy, and laboratory findings, it is apparent that Mr. Gonzalez Arenales experienced cardiopulmonary arrest because of multiple factors, the report said. The two autopsy reports do agree that the manner of Gonzalezs death was homicide, or death at the hands of another person, a legal classification that does not necessarily lead to a murder or manslaughter charge. Members of the Gonzalez family believe police used excessive force when they attempted to arrest him. Alameda Police "mishandled" the arrest of 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez last week and caused his death, according to the attorney representing the man's family. Gonzalez died April 19 after police pinned him to the ground for at least five minutes. But it won't last long. Tom Cruise's 'ditching' of Suri showcased by Judd Apatow's 'co-parenting' joke, ex-Scientology exec says, Ask Amy: I feel guilty for not speaking up about my co-worker's activities, Ask Amy: I had a good reason not to tell my friend I was moving, Warriors 3 Things: Steve Kerr entered playoff mode before Golden State's win over Portland. The officers remain on paid administrative leave until all investigations are complete, according to the City of Alameda, which is handling its own independent investigation of the death. The Bay Area was facing its own reckoning with police accountability that only intensified after police released the body-worn camera footage of Gonzalez's desperate final moments. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. That autopsy was commissioned by civil rights law firm Haddad and Sherwin on behalf of Gonzalezs son Mario Gonzalez-Cortez and family members in a civil suit against the city, the officers and the police departments former chief. Sherwin said she also had sent requests for a federal investigation, not only to US Attorney General Merrick Garland and his chief deputy, Pamela Karlan, but also to the US attorney and the FBI in the Bay Area. Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. The Associated Press contributed to this report. They killed him by restraining him in a prone position, with three officers weight on him, for over five minutes, attorney Julia Sherwin said in part. Mario Gonzalez died after three officers and a civilian employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes. An attorney for the officers said they did nothing wrong. Therefore, the report concludes, the cause of death is the toxic effects of methamphetamine, with the physiologic stress of altercation and restraint, morbid obesity, and alcoholism contributing to the process of dying., Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Police body camera video released a week after his death shows multiple officers holding Gonzalez to the ground for five minutes while attempting to arrest him on suspicion of shoplifting, a misdemeanor. He died after three officers and a civilian parking enforcement employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes, according to body camera video released this week by police amid three separate investigations. Sherwin said she believes Gonzalez died of asphyxiation and said the amount of methamphetamine in his system was low. Alison Berry Wilkinson, an attorney representing the officers, told KTVU in Oakland that they "used the lowest degree of force possible given the intensity of Mr. Gonzalez's efforts to evade their grasp.". Its a video that has drawn comparison to that of the George Floyd killing. "Itwas the strength and intensity of Mr. Gonzalez's own momentum" that caused the group to fall. He also holds a AA degree in journalism from Contra Costa College (San Pablo). City officials stated they are "committed to full transparency and accountability in the aftermath of Mr. Gonzalez's death." Clearly now the onus is on the DA to prosecute these officers for the homicide.. "We need justice because we lost someone who was indispensable to our family," Gonzalez's mother told CBS stationKPIX-TVlast week. After graduating from Coliseum College Preparatory in Oakland, Gonzalez had plannedto go toAlameda College. OAKLAND, Calif. - A 26-year-old man who died while being handcuffed by Alameda police eight months ago succumbed to "toxic effects of methamphetamine" with "physiologic stress of altercation and restraint" a contributing factor, the Alameda County Coroner's Office determined in an autopsy report released Friday. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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