March For Our Lives California Statement on The Murder of Mario Arenales Gonzalez

ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA, May 1, 2021—On April 19, Alameda Police officers murdered Mario Arenales Gonzalez by pinning him down for five minutes. Officers Eric McKinley, James Fisher, and Cameron Leahy were sent to the park after receiving a complaint about Mr. Gonzalez's intoxication. The initial police report from Alameda said that “a physical altercation ensued” when officers tried to detain Mr. Gonzalez and that “at that time, the man had a medical emergency.” However, recent released footage shows that Mario did not resort to any violence and began begging the officers to stop pressing on his back while they were kneeling on it, ultimately killing him. All three officers have been left on administrative leave.

We are heartbroken to see yet another cruel act of police brutality and white supremacy. We demand accountability and change instead of thoughts and prayers. Wedemand the arrests of all three officers involved in this murder. Just a few weeks ago, Derek Chauvin was proven guilty after partaking in the death of an innocent Black man while pinning him down. While we saw progress in Derek Chauvin's trial, we see no progress in our system's ability to take accountability. We cannot allow our systems to uphold such acts that further marginalize Black and Brown communities.

March For Our Lives California stands in solidarity with Mr. Gonzalez's family. Today we honor Mario Arenales Gonzalez's life and the life he led. We cannot allow our system to get away with this murder and we demand justice for Mario Arenales Gonzalez.