A month before George Floyd anniversary, East Bay island jolted by death after police restraint
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Police body-camera footage shows Gonzalez, who died in Alameda police custody, being restrained by officers.Alameda Police Department / New York TimesShow MoreShow Less
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Friends, family and supporters of Mario Gonzalez hold photos of him during a news conference outside the Alameda Police Department the day after he died in police custody.Santiago Mejia / The ChronicleShow MoreShow Less
For nine minutes, an Alameda police officer tried to engage a man in a park who didn’t appear to be harming anyone.
Six minutes later, 26-year-old Mario Gonzalez was unresponsive with three officers and a civilian parking employee on top of him. Family members were outraged and drew comparisons to George Floyd. Police characterized Gonzalez’s death as a “medical emergency” and said they sought to defuse the situation.