Crime and Public Safety | Hes going unresponsive, one officer says. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. "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. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Blood tests were positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, according to the autopsy report. Mario is shown on the video calmly speaking with the officers for nearly nine minutes. The proposed reforms include creating a civilian police oversight board, revising the department's use-of-force policies and requiring a "non-police response" to certain types of 911 calls. Video Shows Police Kneeled On Mario Gonzalez's Back For 5 .. Family members said Gonzalez had no known health conditions and have previously contended that he did not die from medical complications. 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.". Hes lifting my whole body weight up, an officer tells his colleague. 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! 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. The incident is under investigation by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, the Alameda County district attorney's office, and Louise Renne, a former San Francisco city attorney, who was hired to conduct an independent investigation. CNNs Stella Chan contributed to this report. We are still figuring out how to fill the hole left in our family when they took Mario from us, said his mother, Edith Arenales, in a statement from the familys lawyers. 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. Photo: Lisa Fernandez. He adored our son and was a good father. 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 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. "They wanted to keep him from tripping, so they killed him instead? Crime and Public Safety | 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? hide caption. The APD took a calm situation and made it fatal.". All Rights Reserved. The cause of Gonzalezs death was the toxic effects of 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. 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. 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. All three remain on paid leave. 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. Mario Gonzalez died after three officers and a civilian employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes. Gonzalez's mother, who lost another son two years ago, turned 45 the day after Mario died, his brother said. The Alameda County District Attorney's Office on Tuesday reopened its investigation into the actions of Alameda police officers involved in the death of Mario 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. 2023 Cable News Network. Lila Seidman is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times yearlong initiative exploring various facets of mental health. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. ", The video "presented a story that was really different," his brother, Jerry Gonzalez, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. 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. It is shameful that District Attorney Nancy OMalley did not have the courage to bring criminal charges for this homicide. 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. In April, police called the incident a scuffle followed by a. after an outcry from Gonzalezs family showed officers approaching Gonzalez, alone in a park with some bottles of alcohol, and Gonzalez calmly speaking with officers for nearly nine minutes. 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. 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 the statement. Local residents called 911 on Gonzalez after he seemed dazed and intoxicated, but not threatening or violent, in a public park. The law firm also announced an online fundraising campaign on behalf of Cortez and Gonzalezs son. Dec 13, 2021, 05:41 PM EST. One officer put a knee on his back but only as a "balance point," Wilkinson said. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did., Earlier this month, the Alameda County district attorney announced. ", The union representing police officers did not respond to a request for comment. At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. 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. 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. 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 Gonzalez family: Police body-worn camera footage shows what we alreadyknew A spokeswoman for the Alameda County DA's office declined to comment, citing its ongoing investigation of the case. He got depressed. The officers determine that he is resisting, then push him to the ground, according to the video. Alameda Police Department CNN The Alameda County 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. Gonzalez had a 4-year-old son, also named Mario, and was the main caretaker of his brother, who has autism and turned 23 on Tuesday, his family said. 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. Sherwin is preparing a federal civil rights lawsuit. Accordingly, the department has again determined that the public interest in non-disclosure clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.". 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, 2021, in Alameda, Calif. Gonzalez stopped breathing during the arrest and was pronounced dead at a hospital. This is the video released by police. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Haddad said his firm has hired a doctor to conduct a second autopsy, the results of which have not yet been finalized. At least one officer kneeled on his back for nearly five minutes until Gonzalez became unresponsive. Click here and here to download a copy of the coroner's report. 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. He added that he's "committed to full transparency and accountability into the tragic death of Mr. Gonzalez, and as soon as more information is available, we will continue to share it. The autopsy also noted that Gonzalez had more than 20 cuts and bruises. State storms arent letting up. Police said that Gonzalez then had a "medical emergency. Police said Gonzalez died later at the hospital, but the video shows Gonzalez stopped breathing on site and one officer declaring no pulse as officers began CPR. ", Alameda police officers try to revive Mario Gonzalez of Oakland after police restrained him, prone on the ground. The last delay was on Tuesday. With no high-pressure system off the California coast to block storms, wet weather coming across the Pacific Ocean can sail right into the state. They began CPR and called for medical assistance. 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. 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. The city of Alameda has repeatedly delayed releasing records under a police transparency law citing the fact that the autopsy had not yet been complete. ", "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. An officer says, I forgive you.. Gonzalez, who complied with officers attempts to converse, appeared disoriented in a video later released. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in Alameda, California, killed him, not meth. 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.". 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.. 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