Diego Rios’ death has been ruled a homicide by the LA County Medical Examiner’s office, according to their report released on Thursday, Feb. 12. The ruling comes months after Rios died in police custody after being stopped by Corporal Benjamin Alba and Joshua Orona on Nov. 28. Since Rios’s death, 5C students have rallied with the Rios family to ask for transparency and the release of missing body camera footage. Diego’s official cause of death was ruled as cardiopulmonary arrest, attributed in the report to the “effects of cocaine and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the setting of prone physical restraint.” According to the medical report obtained by the Claremont Courier, “[t]he manner of death is homicide due to volitional human involvement regardless of the intent of any individuals’ actions.”
Tag: Claremont Police
5C community rallies following death of Diego Rios in police custody
5C students and community members gathered in front of Claremont City Hall last Saturday to rally for further investigation into the death of Diego Rios, who died in Claremont police custody last November.
On Jan. 20, the city released audio and footage from when police pulled over 30-year-old Rios, who was experiencing a mental health crisis. The video showed Claremont Police Department Corporal Benjamin Alba tase Rios, leaving him unresponsive.
Rios’ family is now seeking answers from Claremont City Council about a missing two minutes and 25 seconds from the body camera footage and an explanation as to why mental health professionals were not called to the scene.
Claremont evaluates pilot for mental health emergency response team
As towns and cities across the country struggle with the goals of their public safety spending, some are working to address the need for mental health professionals to respond to non-criminal police calls. Claremont is in the process of doing just that.
Pomona student arrested after late-night scuffle with Campus Safety curtails campus concert
Claremont Police arrested a Pomona College student and charged them with battery Saturday night after a physical altercation occurred.