$11.3 Million Settlement Reached Between Alameda And The Family Of Mario Gonzalez

ALAMEDA, CA — The City of Alameda has reached a financial settlement with the family of Mario Gonzalez, who died while being restrained by three Alameda Police officers on April 19, 2021. An Alameda County coroner’s report ruled that Gonzalez’s death was a homicide, noting that he died from "excessive force, improper restraint, mechanical asphyxia, and positional, restraint, and compression asphyxiation of him."

Alameda Police released body-camera video of the fatal interaction about a week later.

The settlement will provide $11 million to the 7-year-old son of Mario Gonzalez, and $350,000 to Mario Gonzalez’s mother.

The money will be paid through Alameda's membership in the California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority (CJPRMA), which worked with the City to manage the litigation and controls the settlement funds.

The civil rights law firm Haddad & Sherwin LLP represented the family of Gonzalez. They released a statement on behalf of Andrea Cortez, the mother of Mario Gonzalez’s seven-year-old son, "Mario was a peaceful, calm person. He was a very mellow guy. He adored our son and was a good father. The police should have known to use better tactics with Mario. He wasn’t hurting anyone and he was clearly confused."

CJPRMA is a public entity that protects tax payers from catastrophic liability and other financial liabilities, according to the City. Member cities include Alameda, Chico, Fairfield, Fremont, Livermore, Lodi, Petaluma, Redding, Richmond, Roseville, San Leandro, San Rafael, Santa Rosa, Stockton, Sunnyvale, Vacaville, and a number of other smaller cities.

The City of Alameda released a statement saying that it "remains committed to full transparency and accountability in the tragic death of Mario Gonzalez and extends our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones."