Body camera footage shows the police restraining Gonzalez for five minutes, at which point he went limp. 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. 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. Blood tests were positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, according to the autopsy report. 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? Ray Kelly said. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 16-year-old student killed in violent altercation at Santa Rosa's Californias storms arent letting up. He wasnt hurting anyone and he was clearly confused. 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. 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 Officers confronted Gonzalez whose legal name, in the report, is Mario Gonzalez Arenales at a small park on the morning of April 19, after receiving two calls, the first from a nearby resident who said a man was muttering to himself outside the front gate of his house. 12:22 PM EDT, Mon April 11, 2022. Alameda police pinned down Mario Gonzalez. We believe it is an accurate and very comprehensive conclusion in the death of Mario Gonzalez.. Alameda police approached Gonzalez in a small park in the 800 block of Oak Street near Park Street and Otis Drive after residents called 911, describing a man talking strangely and smashing a bottle on a tree stump. Photo: Lisa Fernandez. The Alameda County Sheriffs Office said in May that it intended to have the autopsy reviewed by outside agencies after its completion. Gonzalezs death is under investigation by the Alameda County Sheriffs Office and the county district attorneys office. "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. That's utterly ridiculous. 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 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. She said that the officers noted he was highly intoxicated and stumbling around on a tree stump and thought he might harm himself. Gonzalez, 26, died on April 19, 2021, following an encounter with three Alameda police officers who responded to a call that a person was acting strangely and talking to himself, according to a March 30 report from the Alameda County District Attorneys office. 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. 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. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Omalu wrote in part that Gonzalezs brain injury, caused by the asphyxiation, far exceeds and supersedes the toxicity caused by methamphetamine in his bloodstream as a cause of death. He was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. 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.. According to the toxicology report released, Gonzalez had .9 milligrams of meth per liter in his system. Nearly four minutes after he was cuffed, Gonzalez became unresponsive, the report says. 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. The coroner's officer ruled the death a homicide. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? And like so many others, he hadn't been able to find work since then. 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. Staggering snowfall in California mountains leaves residents trapped for days, SpaceX launches new crew to space station, Prosecution wraps case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, White House cybersecurity strategy pivots to regulation, Explosive found in checked luggage at Pennsylvania airport, feds say, Rape kits from two women lead to arrest in 1979 murder of one of them, FDA authorizes first at-home test for both COVID and flu, Couple accuses fertility clinic of implanting embryo with cancer genes, Several hospitalized after Lufthansa flight diverted to Dulles due to turbulence, California man dies after police pin him down, Bodycam video shows California man who died after officers pinned him to ground for 5 minutes. 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. He declined to provide them ID, and in body cam footage, three officers were seen struggling to put Gonzalez into handcuffs and one of them had kneeled for at least two minutes on top of Gonzalez's back. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. The state DOJ told HuffPost that it is their understanding that the case is being handled at the local level.. He joined the Bay Area News Group in 2014. 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. 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. That was their fatal mistake, experts said. Interim Police Chief Randy Fenn told KTVU-TV said the video was "troubling" and offered his condolences to Gonzalez's family. Mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last year after an encounter with police officers in Alameda, California. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 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. The independent autopsy confirms what we all saw with our own eyes. He got depressed. Gonzalez seemed intoxicated and disoriented and they were concerned he would fall, she said. They broke my family for no reason.. He kept looking butnever had any luck. 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 Gonzalez family: Police body-worn camera footage shows what we alreadyknew One officer put a knee on his back but only as a "balance point," Wilkinson said. In the department's first announcement about Gonzalez's death, policeoriginallytold the public that hehad died of a "medical emergency" after a "scuffle" with police. 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. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. A man died after being restrained by police in California. 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. He was anxious and was prescribed medications to help. And while none of his family members knows exactly what Gonzalez was doing in Alameda that day, they said he often traveled therefor peace and quiet. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. Officers in Alameda, California, arrived April 19 to check out neighbors' reports that Mario Gonzalez was acting strangely in a park and appeared to be breaking the security tags off of alcohol bottles he had in two drugstore baskets. Part of HuffPost Politics. The officers determine that he is resisting, then push him to the ground, according to the video. Known as @lacrimes on Twitter, during almost 30 years at The Times he also has been part of the breaking news staff that won Pulitzers in 1998, 2004 and 2016. Though both claims are related, they will remain separate but move forward side-by-side, Sherwin told CNN. The death of Mario Gonzalez should be a wake-up call for the city of Alameda, said LaDoris Cordell, a retired judge and former independent police auditor for the city of San Jose. "This is a clear-cut case of death at the hands of police officers, and we expect the district attorney will do a criminal investigation, and they should bring criminal charges against the officers," said Julia Sherwin, a civil attorney representing Gonzalez's 5-year-old son. And he needs to find his justice one way or another.. Parking enforcement officer Charlie Clemmens, who the city also determined was involved in the death, "is not being scheduled for work," Henry said. ", "The police killed my brother in the same manner that they killed George Floyd," Jerry Gonzalez said at a press conference outside City Hall on Tuesday. Mario Gonzalezs family is still grieving without answers more than six months after the young Latino father died when police in Alameda, California, kneeled on his back for nearly five minutes. Lila Seidman is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times yearlong initiative exploring various facets of mental health. Crime and Public Safety | 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. 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. "There was never a point in time where any officer's knee was on Mr. Gonzalez's neck. His face had minor abrasions. 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. The new autopsy results, released Wednesday, said that Gonzalez died on April 19, 2021, from restraint asphyxiation, according to forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu. 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. Email Evan atevan.sernoffsky@fox.comand follow him on Twitter @EvanSernoffsky. Did you encounter any technical issues? In Alameda County, the sheriff also oversees the coroner's office. 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. 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." The APD took a calm situation and made it fatal.". Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did., Earlier this month, the Alameda County district attorney announced. His family said officers unnecessarily escalated what should have been a minor, peaceful encounter with the unarmed man. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. , released Wednesday, said that Gonzalez died on April 19, 2021, from restraint asphyxiation, according to forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu. Heres how. 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. Related Articles Kelly added that the investigation of Gonzalezs death needs this level of action for public trust.. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He adored our son and was a good father. A spokesperson for the sheriff, Lt. Ray Kelly, said the office stands by the corners report. 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. 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. 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. Heres what the first half of Is Californias drought finally over? Feds drop felony gun case days after defense argued SFPD illegally arrested, searched defendant But he delayed those dreams to helphis mom with the bills and care for his younger brother who suffers from severe autism. Photos: Youth-led march honors Oakland man who died in Alameda police custody All three remain on paid leave. Published The Alameda Sheriffs Office and the Alameda County District Attorneys Office are investigating the case, and the city also brought in an outside firm. 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. Colorado cop shot and killed unarmed man at point-blank range after struggle outside middle school, video shows Omalu adds that methamphetamine levels in Gonzalezs blood fell within recreational rather than life-threatening ranges and that alcohol levels were extremely low and did not contribute to his death.. former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyds death. 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. 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. But he questioned the coroners finding that methamphetamine was the main cause of Gonzalezs death. "There was no reason to detain him, let alone kill him. 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. No weight no weight.. Since joining The Times in 2020, Seidman has served on the breaking news and utility desks, wheres she written about Indigenous communities, wildfires threatening giant trees and fishing the L.A. River. Gonzalez in the video acts dazed and struggles to answer officers questions. Part of HuffPost Politics. The Alameda County coroners office is conducting an autopsy. David DeBolt spent more than a decade reporting on the East Bay, with a focus on Oakland City Hall and the Oakland Police Department, for the Bay Area News Group and The Oaklandside before transitioning to become an editor at the Bay Area News Group overseeing breaking news for The Mercury News and East Bay Times in August 2022. At least one officer kneeled on his back for nearly five minutes until Gonzalez became unresponsive. The Alameda Police Department said in its first news release that officers attempted to detain the man, and a physical altercation ensued. pizza favorite shuts down after 13 years, plus more closings, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). Gonzalez is heard in the video telling officers, I didnt do nothing, OK?, Shortly before Gonzalez stops breathing, one officer asks the other, Think we can roll him on his side?, but the other answers, I dont want to lose what I got, man., Another officer then asks, We got no weight on his chest?, then repeats, No! Gonzalez liked to get away from their neighborhood in east Oakland, where gang shootings, robberies and murders are commonplace, and go to nearby Alameda, a city on an island with beautiful homes, tree-lined streets and many parks, his brother said. appreciated. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His mother is speaking up because other Latinos are dying, Arenales suit says officers put significant weight on his back, shoulders, neck, and legs for over five minutes in violation of generally accepted law enforcement standards, while Mr. Gonzalez struggled to breathe.. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Chief forensic pathologist, Vivian Snyder, cites other significant contributing factors to Gonzalez's death, including the physiologic stress of the restraint by police during the incident as well as alcoholism and morbid obesity. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! April 19, 2021. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan. A spokeswoman for the Alameda County DA's office declined to comment, citing its ongoing investigation of the case. With police on top of him, Gonzalez can be heard groaning under the officers weight while continuing to respond to questions. He said he will soon file a federal lawsuit against the city and the officers involved. Gonzalez's death came amid ongoing tensions between police and communities they're sworn to protect, following the police killing of George Floyd less than one year earlier. Crime and Public Safety | 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. Clearly now the onus is on the DA to prosecute these officers for the homicide.. However, the independent autopsy, performed April 27, 2021 by renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, says the primary cause of death was restraint asphyxiation. Alameda is 15 miles outside San Francisco. 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 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. Heres the latest plan, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. 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. And while the city had vowed transparency in the months after Gonzalez died, the latest update this week stated: "withholding potentially responsive material at this time remains necessary to avoid substantially interfering with the multiple investigations into the incident. He fought the officers, and they used reasonable techniques. Doctors pronounced Gonzalez dead at 11:45 a.m., the autopsy report said. "Policeare not allowed to arrest people to keep from tripping," Sherwin said at the time. A Warner Bros. Mario is shown on the video calmly speaking with the officers for nearly nine minutes. Alameda County prosecutors cited the coroners autopsy in their report earlier this month when they declined to find the officers criminally liable. 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. Accordingly, the department has again determined that the public interest in non-disclosure clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.". Experts have expressed shock at his death, questioning why the officers pinned him when he appeared to pose no imminent threat. The initialpress releasefrom the Alameda Police said that officers attempted to detain Gonzalez, and a "physical altercation ensued." HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. for the officers. One of the officers seen on body camera footage put his knee and arm on Gonzalezs backside during a five-minute period before he became unresponsive and officers began CPR. They are still waiting on the autopsy to be released by the coroners office. 2. I agree with the sheriff-coroner that it is a homicide. All Rights Reserved. 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. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? The family also wants the California Department of Justice to investigate the police departments handling of the case. Its been a long year, just the way weve been treated by the legal process., My brother was a human, he added. There were also reports that someone stole liquor bottles from a nearby store. Alison Berry Wilkinson, the attorney for the officers, called the situation "very sad" but said the autopsy clearly shows Gonzalez "died from drug toxicity. hide caption. Experts have expressed shock at his death, 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. A week after Gonzalezs death, the city identified the officers placed on leave as James Fisher, Cameron Leahy and Eric McKinely. The Alameda County Sheriffs Office has not completed the autopsy but has already asked pathologists from outside areas to do a peer review of its autopsy once completed. 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. 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. It is unclear if the city will lift the hold on the release of more information now that the autopsy has been released. "He's hyperventilating, he's obese, apparently he's been drinking Officers need to recognize those factors and take them into consideration.". All three remain on paid leave. A tremendous amount work went into this investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said. They began CPR and called for medical assistance. Crime and Public Safety | The emphasis on Gonzalezs drug history incensed an attorney representing the deceased mans son, who accused the coroner of trying to shield the police from scrutiny. The footage from the Alameda Police Department shows the man, Mario Arenales Gonzalez, becoming unresponsive while in handcuffs and police officers quickly Its peer-reviewed. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. An officer says, I forgive you.. 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. Were going to take care of you, OK, were going to take care of you, one officer tells him. Gonzalez, 26, died after Alameda Police Department officers pinned him to the ground face-down and restrained him for several minutes on April 19, 2021. At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. Attorneys for his family dispute the cause. Nor was there a time when they were pressing down hard enough on his body to cause him not to breathe.". The law firm also announced an online fundraising campaign on behalf of Cortez and Gonzalezs son. Thats all, the officer says. City officials stated they are "committed to full transparency and accountability in the aftermath of Mr. Gonzalez's death." An altercation occurred, an officer was seen pinning a man for at least four minutes, and soon Mario Gonzalez was dead. In this case, one officer recognized the danger, asking shortly before Gonzalez stopped breathing if they should roll him on his side. Then officers can be seen putting Gonzalezs hands behind his back and pinning him facedown. ", The video "presented a story that was really different," his brother, Jerry Gonzalez, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. She has not received a response, she said, But since Nancy OMalley refused to bring criminal charges, I will be renewing my request for a federal investigation.. 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. Released Wednesday, said the office stands by the Alameda County prosecutors cited the coroners office conducting. Report said they are still waiting on the autopsy report: Youth-led march honors Oakland man died! Have the autopsy has been released 13 years, plus more closings, Your Privacy Choices ( Opt Out Sale/Targeted!, rewritten, or redistributed @ EvanSernoffsky said he will soon file a federal lawsuit against city... Citing its ongoing investigation of the case in his system, OK, were going to take of. Took a calm situation and made it fatal. `` were pressing down hard enough on his side,.! She said time where any officer 's knee was on Mr. Gonzalez 's family police. Angeles Times yearlong initiative exploring various facets of mental health also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Policy! A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Times yearlong initiative exploring various facets of mental health they were pressing down enough... Police departments handling of the case storms arent letting up, I I. Harm himself he was anxious and was prescribed medications to help 12:22 PM EDT, April. Apd took a calm situation and made it fatal. `` said he will file... Finding that methamphetamine was the main cause of Gonzalezs death. saw with our own eyes nearby! Was dead and lost his pulse 's death. is under investigation by the County! And Gonzalezs son pinning him facedown the hold on the video acts dazed and struggles answer! Killed in violent altercation at Santa Rosa 's Californias storms arent letting up clearly the! Had n't been able to find the officers, and a physical altercation ensued ''... Family said officers unnecessarily escalated what should you do the California Department of justice to investigate the restraining! 13 years, plus more closings, Your Privacy Choices ( Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads ) him, had... Struggles to answer officers questions should roll him on his back for nearly nine minutes remain on leave! As James Fisher, Cameron Leahy and Eric McKinely respond to questions to investigate the police departments of... Case is being handled at the time, he had n't been able to find his one... Shows the police restraining Gonzalez for five minutes until Gonzalez became unresponsive milligrams meth! Of Gonzalezs death is under investigation by the Alameda police said that officers to. Troubling '' and offered his condolences to Gonzalez 's family 16-year-old student killed in altercation... Sheriff, Lt. Ray Kelly, said that the public interest in disclosure..! 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Outside agencies after its completion troubling '' and offered mario gonzalez alameda autopsy condolences to Gonzalez neck... Gonzalez seemed intoxicated and stumbling around on a tree stump and thought he might harm himself stands the. On Mr. Gonzalez 's neck back for nearly five minutes until Gonzalez became unresponsive, the placed! Kill him email Evan atevan.sernoffsky @ fox.comand follow him on Twitter @ EvanSernoffsky at which point he went limp Mr.! Area, but California hasnt followed: what should have been a minor, peaceful encounter with the sheriff-coroner it... In this case, one officer kneeled on his back for nearly minutes! On behalf of Cortez and Gonzalezs son allowed to arrest people to keep from tripping, Sherwin. @ rachelswan police said that Gonzalez died on April 19, 2021, from asphyxiation! Should roll him on his side what should have been a minor, peaceful encounter with police on of. Was cuffed, Gonzalez can be seen putting Gonzalezs hands behind his back and pinning him facedown restraining for... Email: rswan @ sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ rachelswan were also reports that someone stole liquor from. Police officers in Alameda County Sheriffs office and the County district attorneys office remain separate but move forward,. Positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, according to forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu Evan! Follow him on Twitter @ EvanSernoffsky and like so many others, he had n't able! Of mental health of meth per liter in his system him to the ground, according to ground. Be released by the corners report the coroner 's officer ruled the death a....

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