An Alameda police officer facing charges in the 2021 death of Mario Gonzalez pleaded not guilty Friday.
Eric McKinley, the lone officer still charged among the three originally accused in the case, is set to come back for a pretrial hearing in November.
The not-guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter was not a surprise to Gonzalez’s family and community justice advocates who showed up in support of the family.
A judge dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against two other Alameda officers in connection to Gonzalez’s death, saying charges weren’t filed within the statute of limitations. But the charges for McKinley remained because he was out of the country during that three-year period, the judge ruled.
Gonzalez died in April 2021 after the three Alameda officers pinned him to the ground during a scuffle that was captured on officers' bodycams.
Gonzalez's family say they plan to pursue federal legal action against all of the officers. Community members and activists are behind that effort too.
"We’ve been involved in supporting the family since the incident occurred, and we will continue to be involved until we see some justice," said George Galvis, of Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice.
McKinley’s defense attorney declined to comment Friday.
The next preliminary hearing for McKinley takes place Nov. 7.
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