Events unfolded at about 10:45 a.m. at 802 Oak Street in Alameda, where police allege Mario Arenales Gonzalez appeared to be under the influence and was a suspect in a possible theft.
They say Gonzalez suffered a medical emergency while officers were trying to restrain him. He was taken to a hospital where he died.
But Gonzalez’ family says he was healthy and had no medical conditions.
Mario Gonzalez was a 26-year-old Oaklander. He’s the father of a 4-year-old child and caretaker for his 22-year-old autistic brother Efrain, according to the family.
Mario’s mother, Edith Arenales, said, "We need justice because we lost someone who was indispensable to our family."
The family is asking for Gonzalez's body so they can have an independent autopsy conducted and an independent investigation done before burying him. They want to know how he died, the names of the officers involved, and the footage from officers' body-worn cameras released immediately.
The three officers involved in the case have been placed on administrative leave, police said, and video from their body-worn cameras has been turned over to Sheriff's and District Attorney investigators. They anticipate releasing the body-worn camera video by the end of next week after all parties involved have been interviewed by the investigating agencies.
