L.A. wants to evict families living in luxury hotel since botched 2021 fireworks detonation On April 19, 2021, police in the Bay Area city knelt on Marios back for nearly four minutes, until he died. They did a tremendous job under difficult circumstances.". 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. Charge all those involved so no one else has to lose their loved one.. One officer puts his knee on Gonzalezs back for four minutes or more. Mario is shown on the video calmly speaking with the officers for nearly nine minutes. Mario is shown on the video calmly speaking with the officers for nearly nine minutes. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in Alameda, California, killed him, not meth. "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. County officials dispute that characterization. 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. But body camera video released shortly afterward, it was clear that Gonzalez was unarmed. 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 police should have known to use better tactics with Mario. 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? Gonzalez in the video acts dazed and struggles to answer officers questions. One officer seems to put an elbow on his neck and a knee on his shoulder. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. ", Alameda police officers try to revive Mario Gonzalez of Oakland after police restrained him, prone on the ground. 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. There were also reports that someone stole liquor bottles from a nearby store. The officers approach to Mr Gonzalez detention and arrest and their use of force appeared reasonable under the circumstances, the report says. Crime and Public Safety | All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Attorneys for his family dispute the cause. 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. former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyds death. 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.. Those statement did not mention Gonzalez being pinned to the ground. Gonzalez, who weighed about 250 pounds, by that point is lying facedown on some wood chips and can be heard shouting and grunting as the officers use body weight to control him. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Family members said Gonzalez had no known health conditions and have previously contended that he did not die from medical complications. He adored our son and was a good father. The officers roll Gonzalez over and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Rachel Swan is a breaking news and enterprise reporter. Mario Gonzalez autopsy will be reviewed by, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Mario Gonzalez autopsy will be reviewed by outside agencies, After Oakland man dies in custody, Alameda looks at possible changes in policing, Photos: Youth-led march honors Oakland man who died in Alameda police custody, Gonzalez family: Police body-worn camera footage shows what we alreadyknew, Our family needs answers: Relatives call for swift transparency in mans death during arrest by Alameda police. "Policeare not allowed to arrest people to keep from tripping," Sherwin said at the time. Crime and Public Safety | HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. Crime and Public Safety | 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. CNNs Stella Chan contributed to this report. She joined the Chronicle in 2015 after stints at several alt weekly newspapers. 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. ""Video only tells part of the story, so we need the entire investigation to understand whether or not the actions were legal, consistent with training and within policy.". The methamphetamine detected in his blood combined with his enlarged and dilated heart could have together resulted in fatal cardiac arrhythmia, the report continued. ey. 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez died last Monday after police responded to a call about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person. 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.. The case has sparked outrage in the community. "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. Crime and Public Safety | Part of HuffPost Politics. 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. Body camera video shows officers attempt to take Mario Gonzalez into custody on April 19, 2021. Then the cops put Marios hands behind his back and pinned him facedown. 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Colorado cop shot and killed unarmed man at point-blank range after struggle outside middle school, video shows With police on top of him, Gonzalez can be heard groaning under the officers weight while continuing to respond to questions. All three remain on paid leave. A Warner Bros. 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. 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. "Itwas the strength and intensity of Mr. Gonzalez's own momentum" that caused the group to fall. 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 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. 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 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. Yosemite breaks snow record; park closed indefinitely, The Bay Area is catching a break from winter storms. The initialpress releasefrom the Alameda Police said that officers attempted to detain Gonzalez, and a "physical altercation ensued." His family said he was also the main caregiver for his autistic brother, Efrain. The loss of Mr. Gonzalez is a terrible tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones.. Mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last year after an encounter with police officers in Alameda, California. Photo: Lisa Fernandez. He also had multiple rib fractures and a liver laceration, consistent with injuries people sometimes suffer when doctors attempt to resuscitate them through CPR. 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. , released Wednesday, said that Gonzalez died on April 19, 2021, from restraint asphyxiation, according to forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu. A tremendous amount work went into this investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said. Were going to take care of you, OK, were going to take care of you, one officer tells him. He stopped breathing in a park at the end of a cul-de-sac of well-kept homes with manicured gardens. 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. He said he will soon file a federal lawsuit against the city and the officers involved. But he urged people to wait for the results of a full investigation. 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. This, in our view, is an unintended, unexpected death from the use of proper training and accepted techniques in the law enforcement industry.. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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. 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. One officer put a knee on his back but only as a "balance point," Wilkinson said. Heres how. Ray Kelly said. 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. 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. They began CPR and called for medical assistance. I think you just had too much to drink today, OK? No weight no weight.. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. Nearly four minutes after he was cuffed, Gonzalez became unresponsive, the report says. S.F. At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! In April, police in Alameda, California, kneeled on Mario Gonzalezs back for nearly five minutes before he died. "There was no reason to detain him, let alone kill him. The independent autopsy, which was requested by the familys 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.. ", "It was the toxic level of drugs not the actions of the officers," Berry Wilkinson said in an interview. 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.". IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? , but the video shows Gonzalez stopped breathing on site and one officer declaring no pulse as officers began CPR. Gonzalez, 26, died April 19, 2021, as he was being restrained outside 802 Oak St. in Alameda. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? 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 methamphetamine (use) placed further strain on Mr. Gonzalezs heart, the report says. "They never wanted to take him to the ground,"Wilkinson said at the time. Crime and Public Safety | ALAMEDA The death of an Oakland man who went unconscious while police held him to the ground was determined to be a homicide as a result of the altercation with officers, as well as methamphetamine use,and obesity, according to an autopsy made public this week. Asked why the officers couldn't have called a family member to pick him up or let him sit on a benchto wait it out instead of restraining him,Wilkinson said those approaches would not have likely worked out because of his disorientation. After learning his name, the officer adds, Mario, just please stop fighting us.. But theyve hit a snag, Randall Emmett, Ambyr Childers settle domestic violence restraining order dispute, Review: A reimagined Secret Garden fails to flower anew at the Ahmanson Theatre, A $150,000 executive protection dog? 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. On April 19, police in the Bay Area city of Alameda responded to a report of an intoxicated man and a possible theft. 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. Most Californians can put off filing taxes until Oct. 16 but should they? 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. 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. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did.. Gonzalez was still resisting with his entire body, including his legs, even after being handcuffed, according to the report. The three police officers and the civilian employee are on administrative leave. They broke my family for no reason.. Mario Gonzalez died after three officers and a civilian employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes. 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? The Associated Press contributed to this report. 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. 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. "They wanted to keep him from tripping, so they killed him instead? And was a good father i think you just had too much drink... 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