Blood tests were positive for methamphetamine and amphetamine, according to the autopsy report. 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. Adante Pointer, lawyer for Edith Arenales, Gonzalezs mother, told CNN the family is disappointed the officers wont be criminally prosecuted but the decision doesnt come as a surprise. Experts have expressed shock at his death, Lila Seidman is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times yearlong initiative exploring various facets of mental health. The Alameda Sheriffs Office and the Alameda County District Attorneys Office are investigating the case, and the city also brought in an outside firm. Separately, the Police Department is conducting an internal affairs probe into the altercation, and the district attorney is reviewing the case to determine whether to file criminal charges. Walking around with that level of meth, he wouldnt have dropped dead at that moment but for the force by police, Haddad said. She said she plans to file a federal civil lawsuit. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? Attorneys for his family dispute the cause. Former Pleasanton cop found not guilty of murder in DUI crash Hes going unresponsive, one officer says. A Warner Bros. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan. "We don't even know the cause of death right now," he said. 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. County officials dispute that characterization. The district attorney called the officers detention, arrest and use of force in the Gonzalez case objectively reasonable considering the agency policies, the totality of the circumstances, and the officers stated rationale., The coroners autopsy listed Gonzalezs cause of death as a heart attack brought on by the struggle with officers, as well as morbid obesity, methamphetamine use and alcoholism. The Alameda County coroners office is conducting an autopsy. 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.. Im concerned that the sheriff-coroner is trying to protect the Alameda police, Haddad said, arguing that methamphetamine was a false cause of death because the amount in Gonzalezs system 907 nanograms per milliliter of blood was far too low to cause someone to suddenly drop dead.. Photos: Youth-led march honors Oakland man who died in Alameda police custody 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. Gonzalez family: Police body-worn camera footage shows what we alreadyknew Los Angeles, Column: Supreme Court conservatives may want to block student loan forgiveness. All three remain on paid leave. 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. During last year's COVID shutdown, Gonzalez lost his job cooking inanItalian restaurant that went out of business during the shutdown. All three remain on paid leave. Discovery Company. "There was never a point in time where any officer's knee was on Mr. Gonzalez's neck. 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. Mario Gonzalez, a 26-year-old father and east Oakland resident, stopped breathing after an 19 April encounter with police at a park in the city of Alameda, in the San All three officers are on administrative leave. The new information being released adds to that pain.. 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. On April 19, 2021, Mario Gonzalez, an unarmed 26-year-old Latino man, died while under police custody by the Alameda, California Police Department. [2] [3] [4] In their initial report of the incident, the department reported that Gonzalez died after a "scuffle" and "physical altercation" resulting in a "medical emergency." That was their fatal mistake, experts said. Then officers can be seen putting Gonzalezs hands behind his back and pinning him facedown. Crime and Public Safety | Gonzalez's life began to unravel during the pandemic. He adored our son and was a good father. He is a graduate of Bowie State University in Maryland with a BS degree in communications. By. They broke my family for no reason.. In an earlier interview, Wilkinson said that physical struggle was because Gonzalez resisted the officers, who she said never intended for the struggle to progress the way it did. Mario Gonzalez Arenales, 26, died last year after an encounter with police officers in Alameda, California. An independent autopsy confirmed what the Latino fathers family had declared: Police in Alameda, California, killed him, not meth. Dec 13, 2021, 05:41 PM EST. Caution: It is graphic. That autopsy was commissioned by civil rights law firm Haddad and Sherwin on behalf of Gonzalezs son Mario Gonzalez-Cortez and family members in a civil suit against the city, the officers and the police departments former chief. Gonzalez weighed about 250 pounds (113 kilograms), and police said he appeared to be under the influence. His family said he was also the main caregiver for his autistic brother, Efrain. They did a tremendous job under difficult circumstances.". Alameda is 15 miles outside San Francisco. On April 19, 2021, police in the Bay Area city knelt on Marios back for nearly four minutes, until he died. Gonzalez, 26, died after Alameda Police Department officers pinned him to the ground face-down and restrained him for several minutes on April 19, 2021. 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. 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Alison Berry Wilkinson, an attorney representing the officers, told KTVU in Oakland that they "used the lowest degree of force possible given the intensity of Mr. Gonzalez's efforts to evade their grasp.". S.F. 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. 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. 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.. After graduating from Coliseum College Preparatory in Oakland, Gonzalez had plannedto go toAlameda College. The emphasis on Gonzalezs drug history incensed an attorney representing the deceased mans son, who accused the coroner of trying to shield the police from scrutiny. The encounter happened a day before former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murder in George Floyds death and it came against the backdrop of the police killing of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old boy in Chicago. It was not clear Friday if that had taken place. "Theres nothing in the report that any of the techniques used by the officers were unreasonable or excessive. He also holds a AA degree in journalism from Contra Costa College (San Pablo). On April 19, police in the Bay Area city of Alameda responded to a report of an intoxicated man and a possible theft. The family has not gotten any updates from officials in months, according to the familys attorney. Did you encounter any technical issues? Or follow her on Twitter @ljfernandez. Mario Gonzalez, who died after being pinned to the ground by police officers in Alameda, California, was a father of a 4-year-old child. Video Shows Police Kneeled On Mario Gonzalez's Back For 5 .. Nearly four minutes after he was cuffed, Gonzalez became unresponsive, the report says. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Two wrongful death suits, nearly mirroring one another, have been filed against the City of Alameda alleging the officers detained Gonzalez without reasonable suspicion and caused him to die of asphyxia. , family members and other loved ones gathered with candles for a vigil at the Alameda park where Mario died at age 26. from officials in months, according to the familys attorn. No weight no weight.. Hes lifting my whole body weight up, an officer tells his colleague. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! 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. Dear Abby: Why do they imply my husband is a freak? A tremendous amount work went into this investigation by our pathologist and coroners investigative team, Kelly said. 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. Experts have expressed shock at his death, questioning why the officers pinned him when he appeared to pose no imminent threat. The long-awaited autopsy found morbid obesity and alcoholism were also contributing factors in Gonzalez's April 19 death. 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.. 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