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. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? 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. The officers approach to Mr Gonzalez detention and arrest and their use of force appeared reasonable under the circumstances, the report says. 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.. The long-awaited autopsy found morbid obesity and alcoholism were also contributing factors in Gonzalez's April 19 death. It is shameful that District Attorney Nancy OMalley did not have the courage to bring criminal charges for this homicide. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. 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. He is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a BA degree in journalism. Experts have expressed shock at his death, questioning why the officers pinned him when he appeared to pose no imminent threat. 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. hide caption. Caution: It is graphic. 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. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 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. They broke my family for no reason.. Crime and Public Safety | Yosemite breaks snow record; park closed indefinitely, The Bay Area is catching a break from winter storms. By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman Apr 27, 2022, 08:56 PM EDT He joined the Bay Area News Group in 2014. 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. 2023 Cable News Network. HuffPost's top politics stories, straight to your inbox. On April 19, 2021, police in the Bay Area city knelt on Marios back for nearly four minutes, until he died. 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? 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. 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. Kelly added that the investigation of Gonzalezs death needs this level of action for public trust.. The officers roll Gonzalez over and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Blood tests were positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, according to the autopsy report. We believe it is an accurate and very comprehensive conclusion in the death of Mario Gonzalez.. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. "It was just heartbreaking having to see my mother see the last moments of her firstborn, which is something that no mother wants to endure," he said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Body camera video shows officers attempt to take Mario Gonzalez into custody on April 19, 2021. 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 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. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Crime and Public Safety | There were also reports that someone stole liquor bottles from a nearby store. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 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 video "presented a story that was really different," his brother, Jerry Gonzalez, told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday. 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.. 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. The cause of Gonzalezs death was the toxic effects of Alameda police Officer Erick McKinley was among several officers who responded on April 19, 2021 in the citys Scout Park after a resident called police to claim Gonzalezs presence was scaring his wife. She said she plans to file a federal civil lawsuit. Gonzalez died hours before the case against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin went to the jury. The project will marry her graduate work in clinical psychology and more than 10 years of journalism experience. 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. An attorney for the officers said they did nothing wrong. 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, according to an independent autopsy requested by family attorneys and released Wednesday. The officers, as they seek to restrain him, repeatedly ask Gonzalez for his full name and birth date. No officers were charged. Heres how. 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 Mario is shown on the video calmly speaking with the officers for nearly nine minutes. During the interaction with law enforcement agents, he was face-down on the ground (prone) with his hands handcuffed behind his back, and at times the officers were applying pressure to his torso and legs with at least some of the weight of their bodies. 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. Related Articles 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. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did. All four employees have now been interviewed by both the sheriff's and district attorney's investigators, the city said. ", The union representing police officers did not respond to a request for comment. Crime and Public Safety | 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. ", Similarly, after the death of Floyd last year, the Minneapolis Police Department issued a news release saying that he had suffered "medical distress. 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. Discovery Company. The report notes that, according to the autopsy, Gonzalez had no lethal injuries., Alison Berry Wilkinson, an attorney who represents the three officers, told CNN they are grateful the district attorney recognized that this tragic death was an unintended consequence of their legitimate and lawful actions.. 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. They did a tremendous job under difficult circumstances.". 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. "We don't even know the cause of death right now," he said. I think you just had too much to drink today, OK? Lisa Fernandez and Evan Sernoffsky are reporters forKTVU. 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. Crime and Public Safety | 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. Most Californians can put off filing taxes until Oct. 16 but should they? The officers determine that he is resisting, then push him to the ground, according to the video. The independent autopsy found that, if not for his asphyxial brain injury, Mr. Gonzalez, more likely than not, would not have died. It noted that most people who take methamphetamine do not die of it and that the meth in this case was not the underlying cause of death. As the coroners report found, this autopsy also confirmed that the manner of death was homicide. Police Chief Nishant Joshi extended condolences to Gonzalezs family in a statement. He said the lack of accountability for the police officers was bullcrap., We know that what happened wasnt right, Jerry said. The last delay was on Tuesday. The officers remain on paid administrative leave until all investigations are complete, according to the City of Alameda, which is handling its own independent investigation of the death. 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