CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. He died after three officers and a civilian parking enforcement employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes, according to body camera video released this week by police amid three separate investigations. 16-year-old student killed in violent altercation at Santa Rosa's Californias storms arent letting up. Then officers can be seen putting Gonzalezs hands behind his back and pinning him facedown. The officers roll Gonzalez over and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but he was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Gonzalez died hours before the case against former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin went to the jury. Email Evan atevan.sernoffsky@fox.comand follow him on Twitter @EvanSernoffsky. 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 statement issued Friday by Alameda police Chief Nishant Joshi says the officers will remain on leave until the investigation is over. Related Articles Alison Berry Wilkinson, the attorney for the officers, called the situation "very sad" but said the autopsy clearly shows Gonzalez "died from drug toxicity. ", Alameda police officers try to revive Mario Gonzalez of Oakland after police restrained him, prone on the ground. In this case, one officer recognized the danger, asking shortly before Gonzalez stopped breathing if they should roll him on his side. "Officers have been instructed to not keep handcuffed subjects prone (face-down) and to instead roll them onto their sides for going on 30 years," said Seth Stoughton, who teaches criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina. Thats all, the officer says. Crime and Public Safety | IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Crime and Public Safety | At least two officers knelt on him until he stopped breathing and lost his pulse. IRS delays tax deadline for Bay Area, but California hasn't followed: What should you do? Nate Gartrell covers crime and corruption in Contra Costa County. Nearly four minutes after he was cuffed, Gonzalez became unresponsive, the report says. 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. 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.. Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts. 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. Meth didnt kill Mario, the officers did., Earlier this month, the Alameda County district attorney announced. Crime and Public Safety | 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 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. L.A. wants to evict families living in luxury hotel since botched 2021 fireworks detonation Heres the latest plan, Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area. 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. Gonzalez can be seen gasping for air and he was pronounced dead after he was taken to the hospital. Off work, he enjoys playing in bands, busking and karaoke. 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. He wasnt hurting anyone and he was clearly confused. 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. Gonzalezs cause of death is not yet known. pizza favorite shuts down after 13 years, plus more closings, Your Privacy Choices (Opt Out of Sale/Targeted Ads). 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. 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. Mario Gonzalez died after three officers and a civilian employee pinned him face down on the ground for more than five minutes. 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. "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. 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. 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. The officers approach to Mr Gonzalez detention and arrest and their use of force appeared reasonable under the circumstances, the report says. "Theres nothing in the report that any of the techniques used by the officers were unreasonable or excessive. Feds drop felony gun case days after defense argued SFPD illegally arrested, searched defendant 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. 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 Blood tests were positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, according to the autopsy report. 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. He got depressed. 2023 Cable News Network. The independent autopsy confirms what we all saw with our own eyes. The methamphetamine detected in his blood combined with his enlarged and dilated heart could have together resulted in fatal cardiac arrhythmia, the report continued. Autopsy finds Mario Gonzalez died from meth, police restraint in Alameda struggle By Lisa Fernandez and Evan Sernoffsky Published December 10, 2021 Updated I know they are already suffering the severe trauma of losing a loved one, Joshi said. 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 law firm also announced an online fundraising campaign on behalf of Cortez and Gonzalezs son. 2. ""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.". Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost? Experts have expressed shock at his death, The case has drawn national attention, with comparisons to the death of George Floyd, particularly for the scant information police initially released in saying Gonzalez died of a medical issue during a scuffle with officers. The three police officers and the civilian employee are on administrative leave. 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. 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. ", The union representing police officers did not respond to a request for comment. 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. California man who died in custody was restrained on his stomach for 5 minutes and lost consciousness, police body camera shows. He also had multiple rib fractures and a liver laceration, consistent with injuries people sometimes suffer when doctors attempt to resuscitate them through CPR. Gonzalez family: Police body-worn camera footage shows what we alreadyknew An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in Alameda, California, killed him, not meth. 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. Alameda County supervisors allow eviction moratorium to remain until end of April, Pac-12 media rights: Our (final) predictions for the revenue, media partners, expansion decisions and more, Antioch: Homicide suspect arrested in Brentwood home, Tech, restaurant, logistics layoffs trigger more than 300 Bay Area job cuts, 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. At least one officer kneeled on his back for nearly five minutes until Gonzalez became unresponsive. 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. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Mario Gonzalezs death ruled a homicide,, 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 Gonzalezs death ruled a homicide, coroner blames Alameda police who restrained him, meth use, Tehama County Sheriffs Office resuming daytime patrols Sunday, L.A. wants to evict families living in luxury hotel since botched 2021 fireworks detonation, Former Pleasanton cop found not guilty of murder in DUI crash, Colorado cop shot and killed unarmed man at point-blank range after struggle outside middle school, video shows, Feds drop felony gun case days after defense argued SFPD illegally arrested, searched defendant. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan. Body camera footage shows the police restraining Gonzalez for five minutes, at which point he went limp. Clearly now the onus is on the DA to prosecute these officers for the homicide.. 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. Gonzalez died on the same day that the jury began deliberating in the George Floyd case, ultimately findingMinneapolis police officer Derick Chauvin guilty of murdering Floydlast May. Or follow her on Twitter @ljfernandez. He wanted to be able to provide for his 4-year-old son, Mario Jr., whom he shared parenting duties with his ex-girlfriend in Fremont. Tehama County Sheriffs Office resuming daytime patrols Sunday This, in our view, is an unintended, unexpected death from the use of proper training and accepted techniques in the law enforcement industry.. hide caption. The autopsy also noted that Gonzalez had more than 20 cuts and bruises. They began CPR and called for medical assistance. State storms arent letting up. Omalu wrote in part that Gonzalezs brain injury, caused by the asphyxiation, far exceeds and supersedes the toxicity caused by methamphetamine in his bloodstream as a cause of death. By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman Apr 27, 2022, 08:56 PM EDT A spokesperson for the sheriff, Lt. Ray Kelly, said the office stands by the corners report. Heres what the first half of Is Californias drought finally over? Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. In Alameda County, the sheriff also oversees the coroner's office. By clicking Sign Up, I confirmthat I have read and agreeto the Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. 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. In the report the district attorneys office cited the National Association of Medical Examiners in saying that homicide is a neutral term and does not in any way affect the District Attorneys Offices determination in the criminal context., The district attorney added in the report that, A homicide can be lawful or unlawful.. His face had minor abrasions. Sherwin is preparing a federal civil rights lawsuit. It's unclear why it took until Friday to release the report, which was obtained through a public records request from the coroner's office. Officers can be seen gasping for air and he was clearly confused delays tax deadline for Bay,! 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