Vigil held to remember man who died in Alameda police custody
ALAMEDA, Calif. (KGO) -- A family is demanding answers from the Alameda Police Department. They want to know how their loved one died in police custody on Monday. Wednesday night a vigil was held to remember that young man. Well over a hundred people attended.
26-year-old Mario Gonzalez's mother could be seen wiping her tears just days after her son died in police custody. A translator tells us that that mother is in terrible dismay, thrown off, and in disbelief of the inexplicable news that she received about her son.
Officers responded to a possible theft in the area and a call that came in about a disorderly and possibly intoxicated person around 10:45 Monday morning. They soon came across Gonzalez and at one point there was a scuffle as they attempted to place his hands behind his back.
Wednesday night more than a hundred people showed up to not only remember Gonzalez but demand that body camera video be released.
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"Because two 'Karens' decided to call the police because a brown man in Alameda looks suspicious, a brown man in Alameda looks suspicious, Mario is dead," said George Galvis of the CURYJ group.
"The police department needs to explain why a perfectly healthy man never charged with a crime was killed in their custody," says Jerry Gonzalez whose brother died Monday.
Officers with the Alameda County Sheriff's office tell us the body cam video is likely to be released early next week as they are still interviewing witnesses and officers. Investigators saying no significant use of force or weapons was used but the family is demanding proof of that.
"We want answers and not only do we want answers but we're going to get answers like we're not resting, I don't need answers we're ready to fight I got people ready to fight we're locked and loaded we're coming at them," says Gonzalez.
Mario Gonzalez also leaves behind a 4-year-old son and an autistic brother who he took care of. Sadly his mother tells us that his younger autistic brother still doesn't understand where Mario is.
