City releases body worn camera footage of in-custody death

Published on April 27, 2021

City releases body worn camera footage of in-custody death of Mario Gonzalez

UPDATED: May 4, 2021, 6:00 pm

The City of Alameda offers our heartfelt condolences to the grieving family and friends of Mario Gonzalez who died on April 19, 2021, while in the custody of the Alameda Police Department (APD).

The City of Alameda is committed to full transparency and accountability in the aftermath of Mr. Gonzalez’s death. Three investigations into his death have been initiated: criminal investigations by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department and Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, and an independent outside investigation by Louise Renne of Renne Public Law Group, who was hired by the City Manager. The City will release Ms. Renne’s completed report to the public consistent with the requirements set forth in Senate Bill 1421.

Now that Mr. Gonzalez’s family and legal counsel have viewed the principal responding officer’s body-worn camera (BWC) footage, and Sheriff’s and District Attorney’s investigators are completing their interviews of the responding officers, the City is releasing the BWC video footage and audio files of the police calls for service. (In Alameda, all calls made to 911 or the police non-emergency line are responded to by police dispatchers. In an emergency, we ask the public to call 911 because those calls are prioritized ahead of non-emergency calls when they are received at the same time.) The publicly released BWC footage was redacted to protect bystanders’ privacy and the privacy of the deceased. The video contains graphic content and viewer discretion is advised.

Audio files from the police calls for service and body worn camera video footage: https://youtu.be/OBJnToNolHw