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.
"We still right here," Gonzalez’s mother Edith Arenales said. "We are still fighting for justice for my son, Mario Gonzalez."
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.
Back in 2021, the Alameda County district attorney at the time declined to charge the officers, but current District Attorney Pamela Price revived the case.
The case was ultimately filed in April of 2024, the day before the expiration of the three-year statute of limitations.
Gonzalez's family and supporters said they plan to pursue federal legal action against all three of the officers. They are also planning to pursue decertifying those officers.
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"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.
The defense has called the case political, saying it's meant to distract voters as they decide whether to recall Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price.
Gonzalez's family said they hope politics doesn't interfere with justice.
"We really hope that they do the right thing, regardless of Pamela Price being recalled or not," said Amanda Majail-Blanco with Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice.
The district attorney's office declined NBC Bay Area's request for comment. So did McKinley’s attorney James Shore.
But at the hearing, Shore expressed concerns to the judge about Price’s involvement in the case, saying she may have had legal conversations with Gonzalez's family while she was in private practice, prior to being elected to the DA's office. The defense suggested that could create a conflict of interest.
Gonzalez's supporters disagree, calling this argument a "distraction."
The next preliminary hearing for McKinley takes place Nov. 7.
