Los Angeles, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. April 19, 2021. But he delayed those dreams to helphis mom with the bills and care for his younger brother who suffers from severe autism. Family members said Gonzalez had no known health conditions and have previously contended that he did not die from medical complications. 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. A Warner Bros. He began to eat more and gain weight. "He's hyperventilating, he's obese, apparently he's been drinking Officers need to recognize those factors and take them into consideration.". During the encounter, Gonzalez remained in a prone position with pressure applied to his posterior torso and legs, the report said. An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in Alameda, California, killed him, not meth. appreciated. 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. "They wanted to keep him from tripping, so they killed him instead? The coroner's officer ruled the death a homicide. Alison Berry Wilkinson, the attorney for the officers, called the situation "very sad" but said the autopsy clearly shows Gonzalez "died from drug toxicity. Video Shows Police Kneeled On Mario Gonzalez's Back For 5 .. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Please dont do it, Gonzalez says at one point, and then, Im sorry, followed by screams and groans. 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.. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? 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. County officials dispute that characterization. If they had rolled him on his side when the first officer said to, my sons father might still be here.. Our family needs answers: Relatives call for swift transparency in mans death during arrest by Alameda police He said he will soon file a federal lawsuit against the city and the officers involved. 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. With police on top of him, Gonzalez can be heard groaning under the officers weight while continuing to respond to questions. 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 The Alameda County Sheriffs Office said in May that it intended to have the autopsy reviewed by outside agencies after its completion. Attorneys for his family dispute the cause. Civil Rights attorney Julia Sherwin, who is representing the family, says her office will continue to press their case in court that it was the officers' prone weight restraint, not meth, that killed Gonzalez. 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. A statement issued Friday by Alameda police Chief Nishant Joshi says the officers will remain on leave until the investigation is over. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did., Earlier this month, the Alameda County district attorney announced. Experts have expressed shock at his death, 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. Get Morning Report and other email newsletters. No officers were charged. Related Articles 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. Gonzalez weighed about 250 pounds (113 kilograms), and police said he appeared to be under the influence. Then officers can be seen putting Gonzalezs hands behind his back and pinning him facedown. The new autopsy results, released Wednesday, said that Gonzalez died on April 19, 2021, from restraint asphyxiation, according to forensic pathologist Bennet Omalu. 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. This is the video released by police. 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. But body camera video released shortly afterward, it was clear that Gonzalez was unarmed. Its peer-reviewed. "Policeare not allowed to arrest people to keep from tripping," Sherwin said at the time. 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. The police should have known to use better tactics with Mario. 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 He has worked as an online coordinator and, before that, a copy editor and page designer for Bay Area-based newspapers and magazines. Colorado cop shot and killed unarmed man at point-blank range after struggle outside middle school, video shows L.A. wants to evict families living in luxury hotel since botched 2021 fireworks detonation 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. In April, police called the incident a scuffle followed by a medical emergency. But body camera footage released 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. 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. The family is demanding that the officers involved James Fisher, Cameron Leahy and Eric McKinley be fired and charged. 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. His face had minor abrasions. 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. The death is under investigation by the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, the district attorney's office and a former San Francisco city attorney hired by Alameda to lead an independent probe. 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. 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. CNNs Stella Chan contributed to this report. 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? Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 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. City officials stated they are "committed to full transparency and accountability in the aftermath of Mr. Gonzalez's death." "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. / CBS/AP. Crime and Public Safety | The project will marry her graduate work in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience. I know they are already suffering the severe trauma of losing a loved one, Joshi said. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. Sherwin said she believes Gonzalez died of asphyxiation and said the amount of methamphetamine in his system was low. 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. Police body camera video released a week after his death shows multiple officers holding Gonzalez to the ground for five minutes while attempting to arrest him on suspicion of shoplifting, a misdemeanor. ", The union representing police officers did not respond to a request for comment. 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. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! Discovery Company. His family said he was also the main caregiver for his autistic brother, Efrain. 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. The county coroners office had classified the death of Mario Gonzalez Arenales as a homicide and pointed to the toxic effects of methamphetamine as the leading cause. An Alameda police press release on the death of Mario Gonzalez. "There was no reason to detain him, let alone kill him. 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 cause of Gonzalezs death was the toxic effects of The independent autopsy confirms what we all saw with our own eyes. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Gonzalez seemed intoxicated and disoriented and they were concerned he would fall, she said. Nearly eight months after 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez died at the hands of police in Alameda, California, the county coroners office released a report ruling the Latino fathers death a homicide. 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. The Alameda County coroners office is conducting an autopsy. At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. Published The initialpress releasefrom the Alameda Police said that officers attempted to detain Gonzalez, and a "physical altercation ensued." 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. 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. "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. 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. 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), Alameda County DAs new policy will reduce prison sentences through widespread elimination of sentencing enhancements, Mario Gonzalez died of restraint asphyxiation in Alameda police custody, independent autopsy says. Its been a long year, just the way weve been treated by the legal process., My brother was a human, he added. Mario Gonzalez Died Of 'Restraint Asphyxiation' By Police, New Autopsy Finds An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in 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. hide caption. After graduating from Coliseum College Preparatory in Oakland, Gonzalez had plannedto go toAlameda College. "They never wanted to take him to the ground,"Wilkinson said at the time. He also had multiple rib fractures and a liver laceration, consistent with injuries people sometimes suffer when doctors attempt to resuscitate them through CPR. And like so many others, he hadn't been able to find work since then. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did.. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? George Santos Under Scrutiny CBS 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. 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. The death of Mario Gonzalez Arenales, a 26-year-old man whose fatal encounter with Alameda police in April became a flash point in a national debate, 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. Seemed intoxicated and disoriented and they were concerned he would fall, said! Death. stopped breathing and lost his pulse fathers family had declared: police in Alameda, California, him. 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