One officer put a knee on his back but only as a "balance point," Wilkinson said. Most Californians can put off filing taxes until Oct. 16 but should they? A person holds up a Justice 4 Mario sign while listening in to an April 27 news conference hosted by Mario Gonzalezs family and supporters outside the Alameda Police Department. Sarah Ruiz-Grossman. 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. appreciated. "He's hyperventilating, he's obese, apparently he's been drinking Officers need to recognize those factors and take them into consideration.". He wanted to be able to provide for his 4-year-old son, Mario Jr., whom he shared parenting duties with his ex-girlfriend in Fremont. Parking enforcement officer Charlie Clemmens, who the city also determined was involved in the death, "is not being scheduled for work," Henry said. ", The video "presented a story that was really different," his brother, Jerry Gonzalez, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. The Alameda Sheriffs Office and the Alameda County District Attorneys Office are investigating the case, and the city also brought in an outside firm. Gonzalez weighed about 250 pounds (113 kilograms), and police said he appeared to be under the influence. In an autopsy report released Friday, chief forensic pathologist Vivian Snyder categorized Gonzalezs death as a homicide, while citing other factors, including methamphetamine abuse, alcoholism and morbid obesity. Its a video that has drawn comparison to that of the George Floyd killing. Crime and Public Safety | 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. To Alison Berry Wilkinson, the lawyer representing the three officers and civilian parking employee, the report seemed to confirm that her clients were justified in detaining and arresting Gonzalez. With police on top of him, Gonzalez can be heard groaning under the officers weight while continuing to respond to questions. "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. ey. Mario Gonzalez died after three officers and a civilian employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes. Body camera footage shows the police restraining Gonzalez for five minutes, at which point he went limp. 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. "There was no reason to detain him, let alone kill him. The Alameda County district attorneys office told HuffPost that the case is still under investigation and that the office does not comment on pending investigations. The sheriffs office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 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, Dear Abby: My wife said she doesn't like it, but it's part of my life. 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 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. ", Similarly, after the death of Floyd last year, the Minneapolis Police Department issued a news release saying that he had suffered "medical distress. The police killed my brother, in the same manner they killed George Floyd, his brother Gerardo Gonzalez told reporters Tuesday. 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. Crime and Public Safety | 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. He joined the Bay Area News Group in 2014. 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. Crime and Public Safety | 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. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. "Itwas the strength and intensity of Mr. Gonzalez's own momentum" that caused the group to fall. Gonzalezs cause of death is not yet known. The project will marry her graduate work in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience. His family said he was also the main caregiver for his autistic brother, Efrain. He worried if he or his mother died who would take care of his brother Efrain, 23, who suffers from severe autism and is nonverbal. 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. Body camera footage, released later that month after an outcry from the family, showed officers approach Mario, alone in a park with bottles of alcohol nearby, after a neighbor called about someone being intoxicated. In this image taken from Alameda Police Department body camera video, Alameda Police Department officers pin 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez to the ground during an arrest, April 19, in Alameda, Calif. Gonzalez stopped breathing during the arrest and was pronounced dead at a hospital. Alameda Police officers James Fisher, Cameron Leahy and Eric McKinley the officers who struggled with Gonzalez before his death remain on paid administrative leave. Did you encounter any technical issues? At least one officer kneeled on his back for nearly five minutes until Gonzalez became unresponsive. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Related Articles 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. The city identified them Wednesday as Officer James Fisher, who has been with the Alameda Police Department since 2010, and Cameron Leahy and Eric McKinley who joined in 2018. later that month after an outcry from the family, showed officers approach Mario, alone in a park with bottles of alcohol nearby, after a neighbor called about someone being intoxicated. Attorney Julia Sherwin, on behalf of Gonzalezs 5-year-old son, filed a suit in December 2021 and Gonzalezs mother, Edith Arenales, also filed suit in February 2022. In this case, one officer recognized the danger, asking shortly before Gonzalez stopped breathing if they should roll him on his side. for the officers. 16-year-old student killed in violent altercation at Santa Rosa's Californias storms arent letting up. Video Shows Police Kneeled On Mario Gonzalez's Back For 5 .. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did., Earlier this month, the Alameda County district attorney announced. Rachel Swan is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. The three police officers and the civilian employee are on administrative leave. Nearly four minutes after he was cuffed, Gonzalez became unresponsive, the report says. At that time, the man had a medical emergency., Another news release said that there was a scuffle as officers attempted to place his hands behind his back., The protection of human life is our primary duty as police officers, interim Police Chief Randy Fenn said last week in announcing a series of investigations into the death. Colorado cop shot and killed unarmed man at point-blank range after struggle outside middle school, video shows 2. Experts have expressed shock at his death, George Santos Under Scrutiny CBS pizza favorite shuts down after 13 years, plus more closings, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). County officials dispute that characterization. ", Alameda police officers try to revive Mario Gonzalez of Oakland after police restrained him, prone on the ground. But family members and civil rights activists stressed that he was not suspected of a serious crime and said there was no need to arrest him. But he urged people to wait for the results of a full investigation. Heres why thats wise, An assault and fatal stabbing in the middle of class at a Santa Rosa high school, With unfounded fraud claims swirling, red California county dumps Dominion voting machines, Man arrested in connection to 7 bombings in Fresno has links to hate group, authorities say. 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.". Flying bug found at Walmart turns out to be rare Jurassic-era insect, Millions of Americans nearing retirement age with no savings, 1894 shipwreck found in Lake Huron, confirming "powerful, tragic story", minor confrontation with police led to his death, Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter. The family also wants the California Department of Justice to investigate the police departments handling of the case. Clearly now the onus is on the DA to prosecute these officers for the homicide.. Mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last year after an encounter with police officers in Alameda, California. Were going to take care of you, OK, were going to take care of you, one officer tells him. 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." During the encounter, Gonzalez remained in a prone position with pressure applied to his posterior torso and legs, the report said. Mario Gonzalez, a 26-year-old father and east Oakland resident, stopped breathing after an 19 April encounter with police at a park in the city of Alameda, in the San 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. Published They are still waiting on the autopsy to be released by the coroners office. In a case that drew national attention and comparisons to the murder of George Floyd an autopsy report released Friday for a California man who died in April after being restrained by police identifies his manner of death a homicide but cites methamphetamine toxicity as the leading cause. Lisa Fernandez and Evan Sernoffsky are reporters forKTVU. On April 19, police in the Bay Area city of Alameda responded to a report of an intoxicated man and a possible theft. L.A. wants to evict families living in luxury hotel since botched 2021 fireworks detonation The stress of the altercation and restraint combined with prone positioning in the setting of morbid obesity and recent methamphetamine (use) placed further strain on Mr. Gonzalezs heart, the report says. First published on April 29, 2021 / 8:35 AM. 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. Kelly added that the investigation of Gonzalezs death needs this level of action for public trust.. The state DOJ told HuffPost that it is their understanding that the case is being handled at the local level.. 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 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. The independent autopsy confirms what we all saw with our own eyes, Julia Sherwin, an attorney for the Gonzalez family, said in a statement to the Chronicle. 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. The last delay was on Tuesday. Crime and Public Safety | Attorneys for the family of Mario Gonzalez, a Latino man who died after an Alameda officer put a knee on his back and neck for more than four minutes, are asking the The autopsy by the Alameda County Coroner's Bureau rules Gonzalez's death a homicide but says the main cause was "toxic effects of methamphetamine.". The loss of Mr. Gonzalez is a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.. Alameda County prosecutors cited the coroners autopsy in their report earlier this month when they declined to find the officers criminally liable. SEE ALSO: Andrew Brown Jr. shot 5 times, including in back of head, attorneys say independent They are still waiting on the autopsy to be released by the coroners office. Michael Haddad, an attorney representing Gonzalezs family, said the autopsy confirms what everyone can see with their own eyes in the video, and questioned why it took eight months for the report to be released. The coroner's officer ruled the death a homicide. George Kelly is a breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group's East Bay Times and Mercury News. It is shameful that District Attorney Nancy OMalley did not have the courage to bring criminal charges for this homicide. 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. On April 19, 2021, police in the Bay Area city knelt on Marios back for nearly four minutes, until he died. A man died after being restrained by police in California. Alameda Police Department CNN The Alameda County 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez died last Monday after police responded to a call about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person. And Mario's 5-year-old son, also named Mario, will hold them accountable in civil court in a federal civil rights lawsuit.". The civil litigation filed by Gonzalezs family is ongoing and the the Citys legal team is committed to defending the City in the pending litigation, Sarah Henry, public information officer for the City of Alameda told CNN in a statement. 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. 12:22 PM EDT, Mon April 11, 2022. Gonzalezs death resulted from the toxic effects of methamphetamine, combined with the physiological stress of restraint by officers and other underlying conditions, according to the Alameda County coroner. Click here and here to download a copy of the coroner's report. ", The union representing police officers did not respond to a request for comment. Crime and Public Safety | Gonzalez was still resisting with his entire body, including his legs, even after being handcuffed, according to the report. California man who died in custody was restrained on his stomach for 5 minutes and lost consciousness, police body camera shows. The release of the autopsy report is the latest development in the controversial death, which almost immediately drew protests and comparisons to the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. He wasnt hurting anyone and he was clearly confused. 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. His face had minor abrasions. The cause of Gonzalezs death was the toxic effects of 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. "Here it's pretty obvious this individual is suffering from compression restraint asphyxia," Obayashi said. At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. 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 Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much The autopsy also noted that Gonzalez had more than 20 cuts and bruises. She's says she's hopeful the Alameda County District Attorney's office "will do their job and prosecute the officers for the homicide that they committed, to hold those officers accountable in criminal court in Alameda County. former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyds death. 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