Three Northern California law enforcement officers have been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Mario Gonzalez, a 26-year-old man who died in Alameda on April 19, 2021. The charges against James Fisher, Cameron Leahy, and Eric McKinley were announced by Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price. The officers pinned Gonzalez facedown during the incident, which drew comparisons to the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The officers were initially cleared of wrongdoing by a previous district attorney, but the charges were filed just before the statute of limitations were to expire.
According to the county coroner’s autopsy report, Gonzalez’s cause of death was listed as “toxic effects of methamphetamine” with contributing factors such as “physiologic stress of altercation and restraint,” morbid obesity, and alcoholism. However, a second, independent autopsy conducted at the request of Gonzalez’s family lawyers found that he died of “restraint asphyxiation.” The district attorney’s office cited the second autopsy in announcing the involuntary manslaughter charges against the officers. Defense attorneys have denounced the charges as politically motivated, suggesting that a recall effort against Price influenced the decision to file charges at the last minute.
The officers’ defense attorneys claimed that the charges were a desperate attempt to bolster Price’s chances of remaining in office. They argued that the officers’ actions were reasonable, necessary, and lawful, attributing Gonzalez’s death to drug toxicity. The defense attorneys expressed confidence that a jury would see through what they called a political prosecution and exonerate the officers, as previous independent investigations had done. An attorney for McKinley was not immediately available for comment following the announcement of the charges.
Last year, Alameda settled two lawsuits related to Gonzalez’s death, agreeing to pay $11 million to his young son and $350,000 to his mother. Adante Pointer, the attorney for Gonzalez’s mother, stated that the settlement was a step towards righting the wrong that had occurred. The district attorney, Price, stated that she was “walled off” from the case review, which was conducted by her office’s Public Accountability Unit. The timing of the charges, just days after it was confirmed that Price would face a recall election, raised questions about the motivations behind the decision to pursue involuntary manslaughter charges against the officers.
The case of Mario Gonzalez’s death continues to draw attention and scrutiny, with conflicting autopsy reports and allegations of political motivations playing a prominent role in the legal proceedings. The charges against the three officers highlight the complexities and challenges faced in cases of police misconduct and accountability. As the legal process unfolds, the community and the families involved seek justice and accountability for the tragic death of Mario Gonzalez. The outcome of this case will have implications for how similar incidents are handled in the future and will shape the dialogue around police conduct and accountability in Northern California.
