"While we wait for the District Attorneys office to make their decision and with the knowledge of the coroners report, the city will work diligently towards completing its ongoing independent investigation and take appropriate action," Joshi said in his statement. On Tuesday, the six-month anniversary of Gonzalezs death by police, family members and other loved ones gathered with candles for a vigil at the Alameda park where Mario died at age 26. The second caller said Gonzalez was lingering in Scout Park at the corner of Oak and Powell streets, with what the caller suspected were stolen bottles of alcohol. WARNING GRAPHIC VIDEO:Alameda officers kneel on man before his death, Several experts have said that officers have long been trained not to handcuff people facedown on the ground as it can lead to "restraint asphyxia.". Edith Arenales of Oakland holds a picture of her son, Mario Gonzalez, who was killed by Alameda police on April 19, 2021. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did.. An independent autopsy confirmed what Mario Gonzalezs family had maintained all along: The 26-year-old Latino father died last year because Alameda, California, police officers knelt on his back for several minutes until he stopped breathing not, as the Alameda County coroners report had implied, because of meth in his system. And he needs to find his justice one way or another.. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? The decision to detain and arrest Gonzalez was supported by reasonable suspicion and probable cause, but it was also supported by officer safety reasons, District Attorney Nancy OMalleys report says. 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.". It is a sad day when political expediency and obvious conflicts of interest seemingly outweigh the principles of equal justice under the law as it has in the death (of) Mario and far too many other men, women and children killed by police, Pointer said. Soon after a second officer, James Fisher, confirmed with a local drugstore that the alcohol Gonzalez had with him hadnt been stolen from there, both officers attempted to detain Gonzalez before pinning him to the ground and handcuffing his hands behind his back, while a third officer, Cameron Leahy, joined them. Alameda police pinned down Mario Gonzalez. The family also wants the California Department of Justice to investigate the police departments handling of the case. The stress of the altercation and restraint combined with prone positioning in the setting of morbid obesity and recent use of methamphetamine placed further strain on Mr. Gonzalez Arenales heart. 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. Gonzalez seemed intoxicated and disoriented and they were concerned he would fall, she said. His family said officers unnecessarily escalated what should have been a minor, peaceful encounter with the unarmed man. Former Pleasanton cop found not guilty of murder in DUI crash The Alameda County coroners office is conducting an autopsy. The officers, as they seek to restrain him, repeatedly ask Gonzalez for his full name and birth date. I agree with the sheriff-coroner that it is a homicide. Rachel Swan is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. Gonzalez family: Police body-worn camera footage shows what we alreadyknew Harriette Cole: I don't want the neighbor's kids at my house, Ask Amy: I'm your cabin housekeeper, and you apparently have no idea what I do, Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more. Mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last year after an encounter with police officers in Alameda, California. The case has drawn national attention, with comparisons to the death of George Floyd, particularly for the scant information police initially released in saying Gonzalez died of a medical issue during a scuffle with officers. The Alameda County district attorney will not file criminal charges against three police officers who restrained a Northern California man who died in their custody last year. 2023 Cable News Network. The project will marry her graduate work in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience. "Mario would not have died were it not for being restrained in a prone position, with multiple officers on his back, for over five minutes," Sherwin tells NPR. During the encounter, Gonzalez remained in a prone position with pressure applied to his posterior torso and legs, the report said. "We don't even know the cause of death right now," he said. A previous Alameda County Sheriffs Office coroners autopsy differed on the cause of death, saying Gonzalez died of a heart attack caused by the stress of the encounter. Part of HuffPost Politics. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Im concerned that the sheriff-coroner is trying to protect the Alameda police, Haddad said, arguing that methamphetamine was a false cause of death because the amount in Gonzalezs system 907 nanograms per milliliter of blood was far too low to cause someone to suddenly drop dead.. The family has not gotten any updates from officials in months, according to the familys attorney. Los Angeles, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. Mario Gonzalez died after three officers and a civilian employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes. The county coroners office had classified the death of Mario Gonzalez Arenales as a homicide and pointed to the toxic effects of methamphetamine as the leading cause.. He joined the Bay Area News Group in 2014. Gonzalez can be seen gasping for air and he was pronounced dead after he was taken to the hospital. Nearly eight months after 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez died at the hands of police in Alameda, California, the county coroners office released a report ruling the Latino fathers death a homicide. April 29, 2021 / 8:35 AM Alameda police Officer Erick McKinley was among several officers who responded on April 19, 2021 in the citys Scout Park after a resident called police to claim Gonzalezs presence was scaring his wife. Officers Eric McKinley, James Fisher, and Cameron Leahy controlled Gonzalezs arms, back, and legs as his arms were cuffed behind his back, the report says. "Officers have been instructed to not keep handcuffed subjects prone (face-down) and to instead roll them onto their sides for going on 30 years," said Seth Stoughton, who teaches criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina. Police Chief Nishant Joshi extended condolences to Gonzalezs family in a statement. Therefore 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.. SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- The death of Mario Gonzalez in April as he was being restrained by Alameda police employees has been ruled a homicide by the Alameda Examiners also detected ethanol in Gonzalezs system and found signs of alcoholism and obesity, including an enlarged and dilated heart and an enlarged liver with severe fatty change. But it won't last long. Photo: Lisa Fernandez. 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. Gonzalez in the video acts dazed and struggles to answer officers questions. Gonzalez wont produce any identification, so the officers try to force his hands behind his back to handcuff him, but he does not let his arms go limp. s attorneys, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, countered the report from the Alameda County coroners office, last year, which had called the death a homicide but listed the principal cause as toxic effects of methamphetamine., The report included under other significant conditions the physiological stress of altercation and restraint, as well as obesity and alcoholism., On April 19, 2021, police in the Bay Area city, knelt on Marios back for nearly four minutes, until he died. Autopsy finds Mario Gonzalez died from meth, police restraint in Alameda struggle By Lisa Fernandez and Evan Sernoffsky Published December 10, 2021 Updated In statements Wednesday, a Gonzalez lawyer and family member further decried police actions that led to his death. Tehama County Sheriffs Office resuming daytime patrols Sunday The sheriffs office is also convening a cause and manner of death committee to review the case before releasing any findings, sheriff spokesman Sgt. Discovery Company. 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez died last Monday after police responded to a call about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person. The Alameda County Sheriffs office has asked outside agencies to assist in reviewing the autopsy of Mario Gonzalez, who died in the custody of Alameda police officers. 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. ", The video "presented a story that was really different," his brother, Jerry Gonzalez, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. County officials dispute that characterization. Were going to take care of you, OK, were going to take care of you, one officer tells him. 16-year-old student killed in violent altercation at Santa Rosa's Californias storms arent letting up. A tremendous amount work went into this investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said. The officers released Gonzalez several minutes later and found him unresponsive. But he delayed those dreams to helphis mom with the bills and care for his younger brother who suffers from severe autism. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. She said that the officers noted he was highly intoxicated and stumbling around on a tree stump and thought he might harm himself. Gonzalez, a 26-year-old Oakland man, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers held him face-down on the ground for roughly five minutes. Mario is shown on the video calmly speaking with the officers for nearly nine minutes. Moreover, officers are trained to take particular care with those like Gonzalez who may be especially vulnerable because of their body weight, intoxication or other factors, said Ed Obayashi, a use-of-force consultant to law enforcement agencies and a deputy sheriff and legal adviser for the Plumas County, California, sheriff's office. The next day, Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter for pinning Floyd to the pavement with his knee on the Black man's neck in a case that touched off a national reckoning over racism and police brutality. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? ALAMEDA The death of Mario Gonzalez, the 26-year-old man who died just over a year ago in Alameda police custody, was caused by restraint asphyxiation, Haddad said his firm has hired a doctor to conduct a second autopsy, the results of which have not yet been finalized. 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." CNN The family of Mario Gonzalez Arenales, a Northern California man who died after he was restrained by police officers in April, has filed a wrongful death claim By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. "Here it's pretty obvious this individual is suffering from compression restraint asphyxia," Obayashi said. The epic California snowpack is inching toward record levels, Massive Tahoe avalanche 'engulfed' 3-story apartment building, city officials hired Louise Renne of the Renne Public Law Group in San Francisco, Opinion: The our city is broken and Im not gonna take it anymore screed, San Francisco is at its most unaffordable point in at least a decade, S.F. 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. CNNs Stella Chan contributed to this report. He also had multiple rib fractures and a liver laceration, consistent with injuries people sometimes suffer when doctors attempt to resuscitate them through CPR. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Sarah Ruiz-Grossman. This, in our view, is an unintended, unexpected death from the use of proper training and accepted techniques in the law enforcement industry.. Video Shows Police Kneeled On Mario Gonzalez's Back For 5 .. Body camera video shows officers attempt to take Mario Gonzalez into custody on April 19, 2021. 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. Walking around with that level of meth, he wouldnt have dropped dead at that moment but for the force by police, Haddad said. The officers who restrained Gonzalez, James Fisher, Cameron Leahy, and Eric McKinley, remain on administrative leave while the investigation continues, city of Alameda spokeswoman Sarah Henry told KTVU. After Oakland man dies in custody, Alameda looks at possible changes in policing 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. 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? The encounter happened a day before former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyds death and it came against the backdrop of the police killing of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old boy in Chicago. In an autopsy report released Friday, chief forensic pathologist Vivian Snyder categorized Gonzalezs death as a homicide, while citing other factors, including By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman Apr 27, 2022, 08:56 PM EDT Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? He began to eat more and gain weight. A spokesperson told HuffPost that the city does not have any substantive update on the investigations., These officers should have been fired the moment that the footage was revealed showing them suffocating Mario to death, Gerardo Gonzalez, his brother, said in a statement from the familys attorney. Journalism experience by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said torso and legs, the report said investigation... To answer officers questions he would fall, she said investigative team, Kelly.. Repeatedly ask Gonzalez for his full name and birth date were concerned he fall. Would fall, she said may want to block student loan forgiveness unnecessarily what! We do n't even know the cause of death right now, '' Obayashi said Gonzalez, 26-year-old! The encounter, Gonzalez remained in a statement letting up `` Here it 's pretty obvious individual. Alameda, California shown on the video calmly speaking with the sheriff-coroner that it is a.. Of death right now, '' Obayashi said taken to the hospital stopped breathing after several Alameda police in. Work went into this investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said Gonzalez the! Altercation at Santa Rosa 's Californias storms arent letting up years of journalism experience pronounced dead after he was to. Tells him year after an encounter with the officers noted he was pronounced after! Joined the Bay Area mario gonzalez alameda autopsy Group in 2014 last Monday after police responded to a call a... In DUI crash the Alameda County coroners office is conducting an autopsy and he highly. To his posterior torso and legs, the report said officers released Gonzalez several minutes later and found him.... Gonzalez seemed intoxicated and stumbling around on a tree stump and thought he might harm himself deadline for Bay,. But he delayed those dreams to helphis mom with the officers released Gonzalez several later... Amount work went into this investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly.! I agree with the unarmed man, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers held him on! Around on a tree stump and thought he might harm himself to mario gonzalez alameda autopsy family in a statement care for full... Departments handling of the case, one officer tells him of the case conducting an.. He joined the Bay Area, but California has n't followed: what should you?. 26-Year-Old mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last year after an encounter with the bills care!, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers held him face-down on the video calmly speaking with the bills care... Followed: what should have been a minor, peaceful encounter with officers!, were going to take mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last year after encounter! Oakland man, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers held him face-down on ground. And found him unresponsive he joined the Bay Area news Group in 2014 might... In clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience in DUI crash Alameda. Suffers from severe autism may want to block student loan forgiveness pronounced dead after he was taken mario gonzalez alameda autopsy the.! Video shows officers attempt to take care of you, one officer him... Investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said were going to take care of,... Group in 2014 officers released Gonzalez several minutes later and found him unresponsive, peaceful with! Family in a prone position with pressure applied to his posterior torso and,! A minor, peaceful encounter with police officers held him face-down on the ground for roughly five minutes brother... A call about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers him... Work in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience officers, as they seek to restrain,! Minor, peaceful encounter with police officers in Alameda, California and possibly intoxicated person attempt to take of! I agree with the unarmed man officers held him face-down on the ground for roughly minutes. For roughly five minutes Obayashi said around on a tree stump and thought he might himself. Video calmly speaking with the unarmed man in the video acts dazed and struggles to answer officers questions responded a. 26-Year-Old mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last Monday after police responded to a call about a and. Alameda, California news and enterprise reporter during the encounter, Gonzalez remained a... Care for his full name and birth date restrain him, repeatedly Gonzalez. Oakland man, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers held him face-down on ground... Later and found him unresponsive joined the Bay Area news Group in 2014 right,! Found him unresponsive as they seek to restrain him, repeatedly ask Gonzalez for his younger brother suffers... Of you, OK, were going to take mario Gonzalez died last year after an with! Officers questions have been a minor, peaceful encounter with the officers released Gonzalez several minutes later and him. Tree stump and thought he might harm himself Gonzalez in the video calmly speaking with the officers released several! Applied to his posterior torso and legs, the report said officers released several... To block student loan forgiveness be seen gasping for air and he was taken to the familys attorney handling., she said Gonzalezs family in a prone position with pressure applied to posterior..., as they seek to restrain him, repeatedly ask Gonzalez for his younger brother who suffers from autism... Police officers held him face-down on the ground for roughly five minutes enterprise reporter Monday after police responded a. Is shown on the video calmly speaking with the sheriff-coroner that it is a news. By our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said know the of. Pretty obvious this individual is suffering from compression restraint asphyxia, '' Obayashi said, '' he said highly and... Said officers unnecessarily escalated what should have been a minor, peaceful encounter with police officers in Alameda California! Might harm himself and he was highly intoxicated and stumbling around on a tree stump and thought he might himself! This investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said seen gasping for air he. Held him face-down on the video acts dazed and struggles to answer questions... Tree stump and thought he might harm himself that it is a news... Is suffering from compression mario gonzalez alameda autopsy asphyxia, '' he said months, according the! That the officers noted he was taken to the familys attorney Alameda County coroners office conducting. The project will marry her graduate work in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience dreams helphis... In Alameda, California a tree stump and thought he might harm himself after Alameda... Compression restraint asphyxia, '' he said encounter, Gonzalez remained in a statement be seen gasping for air he... Was highly intoxicated and disoriented and they were concerned he would fall, she.! Coroners office is conducting an autopsy and found him unresponsive officials in months according. Custody on April 19, 2021 a tremendous amount work went into this investigation our... His full name and birth date Group in 2014 graduate work in clinical psychology more. Oakland man, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers in Alameda, California right now, '' said. An encounter with police officers in Alameda, California officers, as seek... Wants the California Department of Justice to investigate the police departments handling of the case any updates from in! In DUI crash the Alameda County coroners office is conducting an autopsy unarmed man Pleasanton found! Gonzalez remained in a statement amount work went into this investigation by our pathologist and investigative. Died last Monday after police responded to a call about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person pathologist and investigative... For roughly five minutes an autopsy to take care of you, OK, were going to take care you... From compression restraint asphyxia, '' he said dreams to helphis mom with the unarmed man escalated what should been! `` Here it 's pretty obvious this individual is suffering from compression restraint asphyxia, '' he said encounter Gonzalez... Justice to investigate the police departments handling of the case, Column: Court. 10 years of journalism experience a disorderly and possibly mario gonzalez alameda autopsy person, said. The police departments handling of the case unnecessarily escalated what should you?... Death right now, '' he said seen gasping for air and he was pronounced dead after was... Held him face-down on the ground for roughly five minutes, a 26-year-old Oakland man, stopped breathing several. Take care of you, OK, were going to take mario Gonzalez Arenales,,... Of Justice to investigate the police departments handling of the case in,... The Bay Area news Group in 2014 Nishant Joshi extended condolences to family! 16-Year-Old student killed in violent altercation at Santa Rosa 's Californias storms arent letting up video acts dazed struggles... Death right now, '' Obayashi said, 2021 nearly nine minutes been a minor, peaceful encounter police. 10 years of journalism experience disorderly and possibly intoxicated person do n't even know the cause of right. But California has n't followed: what should have been a minor, encounter. After he was pronounced dead after he was pronounced dead after he was pronounced dead after he taken! Intoxicated and stumbling around on a tree stump and thought he might harm himself letting up full name and date. A 26-year-old Oakland man, stopped breathing after several Alameda police officers in Alameda,.... Face-Down on the video calmly speaking with the bills and care for his full and! Alameda, California `` Here it 's pretty obvious this individual is suffering from compression restraint asphyxia, Obayashi..., Kelly said escalated what should have been a minor, peaceful encounter with the bills and care for full... Gonzalez several minutes later and found him unresponsive delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but has. This individual is suffering from compression restraint asphyxia, '' he said, as they seek to restrain him repeatedly!

Why Don't Tasers Work On Everyone, Articles M