No officers were charged. Gonzalez weighed about 250 pounds (113 kilograms), and police said he appeared to be under the influence. But he questioned the coroners finding that methamphetamine was the main cause of Gonzalezs death. He said he will soon file a federal lawsuit against the city and the officers involved. 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. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. A week after Gonzalezs death, the city identified the officers placed on leave as James Fisher, Cameron Leahy and Eric McKinely. 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. He wasnt hurting anyone and he was clearly confused. 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. Earlier this month, the Alameda County district attorney announced there would be no criminal charges for the officers. The APD took a calm situation and made it fatal.". HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. Blood tests were positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, according to the autopsy report. AP Hes lifting my whole body weight up, an officer tells his colleague. Gonzalez, who complied with officers attempts to converse, appeared disoriented in a video later released. They began CPR and called for medical assistance. Body camera video shows officers attempt to take Mario Gonzalez into custody on April 19, 2021. Again, my heart goes out to Mr. Gonzalez and his family.". The autopsy also noted that Gonzalez had more than 20 cuts and bruises. April 19, 2021. I agree with the sheriff-coroner that it is a homicide. She joined the Chronicle in 2015 after stints at several alt weekly newspapers. Based on the totality of available information, including investigative, autopsy, and laboratory findings, it is apparent that Mr. Gonzalez Arenales experienced cardiopulmonary arrest because of multiple factors, the report said. 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. Though both claims are related, they will remain separate but move forward side-by-side, Sherwin told CNN. 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. former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyds death. That was their fatal mistake, experts said. Charge all those involved so no one else has to lose their loved one.. 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. However, the independent autopsy, performed April 27, 2021 by renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu, says the primary cause of death was restraint asphyxiation. After learning his name, the officer adds, Mario, just please stop fighting us.. He got depressed. Heres what first half of March looks like. 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. George Santos Under Scrutiny CBS Related Articles Feds drop felony gun case days after defense argued SFPD illegally arrested, searched defendant It was not clear Friday if that had taken place. 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, The family of an unarmed 26-year-old San Francisco Bay Area man is struggling to understand how a minor confrontation with police led to his death on the same day a jury in Minneapolis began considering similar circumstances in the George Floyd case. He said the lack of accountability for the police officers was bullcrap., We know that what happened wasnt right, Jerry said. 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. S.F. 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. The officers roll Gonzalez over and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. His first newspaper job was as a Washington Post paperboy. 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Published In an autopsy report released Friday, chief forensic pathologist Vivian Snyder categorized Gonzalezs death as a homicide, while citing other factors, including He is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a BA degree in journalism. The Alameda County Sheriffs Office said in May that it intended to have the autopsy reviewed by outside agencies after its completion. Lila Seidman is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times yearlong initiative exploring various facets of mental health. A man died after being restrained by police in California. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasnt followed: What should you do? That's utterly ridiculous. / CBS/AP. He also had multiple rib fractures and a liver laceration, consistent with injuries people sometimes suffer when doctors attempt to resuscitate them through CPR. The city also acknowledged that there are simultaneous investigations into Gonzalez's death by the Alameda County District Attorneys Office, the Alameda County Sheriffs Office and the citys internal investigation remain active and open. Then the cops put Marios hands behind his back and pinned him facedown. In statements Wednesday, a Gonzalez lawyer and family member further decried police actions that led to his death. At least one officer kneeled on his back for nearly five minutes until Gonzalez became unresponsive. Email Evan [email protected] follow him on Twitter @EvanSernoffsky. We believe it is an accurate and very comprehensive conclusion in the death of Mario Gonzalez.. , released Wednesday, said that Gonzalez died on April 19, 2021, from restraint asphyxiation, according to forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu. The Alameda Sheriffs Office and the Alameda County District Attorneys Office are investigating the case, and the city also brought in an outside firm. The sheriffs office is also convening a cause and manner of death committee to review the case before releasing any findings, sheriff spokesman Sgt. "Policeare not allowed to arrest people to keep from tripping," Sherwin said at the time. Los Angeles, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. Email Lisa [email protected] call her at510-874-0139. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did.. 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. 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 never wanted to take him to the ground,"Wilkinson said at the time. 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. 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. At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. 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. Mario is shown on the video calmly speaking with the officers for nearly nine minutes. An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in Alameda, California, killed him, not meth. The initialpress releasefrom the Alameda Police said that officers attempted to detain Gonzalez, and a "physical altercation ensued." 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. In their initial public statements, Alameda police described Gonzalezs death as a medical emergency. Grieving family members invoked George Floyd, the Minneapolis man whose murder by a former police officer set off a national reckoning over police violence against people of color. Crime and Public Safety | Mario Gonzalez Died Of 'Restraint Asphyxiation' By Police, New Autopsy Finds An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in Alameda, California, killed him, not meth. 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. Michael Haddad, an attorney representing Gonzalez and his young son, who is also named Mario, said he didnt need an autopsy to deduce that Gonzalezs death was a homicide, or that the police restraint was a factor. Its been a long year, just the way weve been treated by the legal process., My brother was a human, he added. Or follow her on Twitter @ljfernandez. There were also reports that someone stole liquor bottles from a nearby store. 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. 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 Gonzalez in the video acts dazed and struggles to answer officers questions. Click here and here to download a copy of the coroner's report. 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. SEE ALSO: Andrew Brown Jr. shot 5 times, including in back of head, attorneys say independent Four days after the incident, city officials hired Louise Renne of the Renne Public Law Group in San Francisco to launch an independent investigation. An altercation occurred, an officer was seen pinning a man for at least four minutes, and soon Mario Gonzalez was dead. Body camera footage shows the police restraining Gonzalez for five minutes, at which point he went limp. The Alameda Police Department said in its first news release that officers attempted to detain the man, and a physical altercation ensued. Accordingly, the department has again determined that the public interest in non-disclosure clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.". Parking enforcement officer Charlie Clemmens, who the city also determined was involved in the death, "is not being scheduled for work," Henry said. All Rights Reserved. "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. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 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. An attorney for the officers said they did nothing wrong. The methamphetamine detected in his blood combined with his enlarged and dilated heart could have together resulted in fatal cardiac arrhythmia, the report continued. 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. 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. 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. The report went through "multiple levels of scrutiny and peer-review including a committee and we absolutely stand by that work," Alameda County Sheriff public information officer Lt. Ray Kelly says of the coroner's report. This, in our view, is an unintended, unexpected death from the use of proper training and accepted techniques in the law enforcement industry.. 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. Related Articles But it won't last long. 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. But body camera video released shortly afterward, it was clear that Gonzalez was unarmed. Those statement did not mention Gonzalez being pinned to the ground. The officers released Gonzalez several minutes later and found him unresponsive. 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. But he delayed those dreams to helphis mom with the bills and care for his younger brother who suffers from severe autism. 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 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. Discovery Company. 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. A tremendous amount work went into this investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said. 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. 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. On April 19, 2021, police in the Bay Area city knelt on Marios back for nearly four minutes, until he died. 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 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. Part of HuffPost Politics. Nate Gartrell covers crime and corruption in Contra Costa County. Alameda County prosecutors cited the coroners autopsy in their report earlier this month when they declined to find the officers criminally liable. I think you just had too much to drink today, OK? 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. 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. Both suits claim Gonzalez appeared to be confused and possibly intoxicated at the time, but was not a threat to himself or anyone else and that he wasnt involved in any crime. 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