Charges Filed Against Three Officers in Northern California Man’s Death [Alameda, CA]

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA (April 20, 2024) — Three police officers in Alameda County, California, have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of Mario Gonzalez. Gonzalez died after being pinned face down on the ground for over five minutes, with this April marking the third anniversary of the incident.

The charges were announced by the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office on the eve of the anniversary, reversing a previous decision from two years ago where no charges were justified according to then-DA Nancy O’Malley. 

At that time, an autopsy cited methamphetamine toxicity and other factors like obesity and alcoholism as causes of death. However, the case was reopened by the current DA’s public accountability unit, and a second autopsy concluded the death was due to restraint asphyxiation.

DA Pamela Price stated that the charges come after an extensive review and aim to rebuild trust in the local justice system. The announcement has stirred responses, with one of the officers’ attorneys claiming the prosecution is politically motivated, and no new evidence has come to light.

The case of the police officers arrested in Alameda, drawing parallels to George Floyd’s death, continues to unfold as legal processes concerning past settlement agreements with Gonzalez’s family are still being finalized. Each officer could face up to four years in prison if convicted.