Hayward City Council approves settlement of lawsuit to benefit children of Agustin Gonsalez

HAYWARD, Calif., March 17, 2021— The Hayward City Council voted unanimously in a closed session meeting on Tuesday to approve a settlement agreement in the amount of $3.3 million to benefit the children of Agustin Gonsalez and settle a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of Mr. Gonsalez’ family.

The settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing, but in this case, is a means of helping to support and meet the economic needs of two children who tragically lost their father.

Previously, in response to public concern expressed following the death of Mr. Gonsalez over how local law enforcement agencies investigate the fatal use force by police, the Hayward City Council established a new policy whereby all such incidents are referred to the State of California Office of Attorney General for review in addition to departmental and Alameda County District Attorney investigations.

The circumstances surrounding the loss of life of Mr. Gonsalez in an encounter with Hayward police in November 2018—and other incidents of police use of force locally and nationally—also have prompted a program of community discussions in Hayward about public safety response to individuals facing mental- and behavioral-health crises.

Information about these discussions, in the context of broader Policy Innovation Workshops on Community Safety in Hayward, is available here on the City of Hayward website.