Three years after Mario Gonzalez died while being pinned face down by police officers in Northern California, the officers involved are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter. The charges against Eric McKinley, James Fisher, and Cameron Leahy were announced by the Alameda County district attorney’s Public Accountability Unit after a review. The case had been closed by the previous district attorney in 2022, but was reopened by Pamela Price, who took office later that year. This decision comes amidst a recall campaign against Ms. Price.
The incident that led to Mr. Gonzalez’s death began when the officers responded to a call about a man behaving strangely in a public park. Body camera footage shows the officers engaging with Mr. Gonzalez, who was incoherent and holding liquor bottles. The encounter escalated, leading to the officers restraining Mr. Gonzalez face down on the ground for approximately five minutes. Concerns about his ability to breathe arose during the restraint, which ended with Mr. Gonzalez being declared dead at a hospital.
The city reached settlements with Mr. Gonzalez’s family in December, providing compensation to his young son and mother. His mother expressed relief that charges were filed against the officers, stating that it was a birthday present for her. Two officers are currently on paid administrative leave, while one has become a sheriff’s deputy in another county. The Alameda Police Department maintains that the officers did not engage in misconduct.
The case has drawn comparisons to George Floyd, whose death under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer sparked nationwide protests over racial justice. While the previous district attorney’s office concluded that the elements of relevant crimes could not be proven, a later autopsy commissioned by Mr. Gonzalez’s family attributed his death to restraint asphyxiation. DA Price, who campaigned on a platform of reviewing old cases and lightening sentences, reopened the case and others involving civilian deaths.
Critics of Ms. Price’s approach have initiated a recall effort against her, with a recall election scheduled for this summer. An attorney for Officer Leahy stated that the officers acted reasonably and believed they would be exonerated by a jury. The officers are set to be arraigned on May 30 and are expected to plead not guilty. Ms. Wilkinson, who represented all three officers before charges were filed, described the prosecution as blatantly political and claimed there was no new evidence against them.
