Crime & Safety
Manslaughter Charges Dropped Against Alameda Officer
Alameda County prosecutors have dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against Alameda police officer Eric McKinley.
ALAMEDA, CA — Alameda County prosecutors have dropped involuntary manslaughter charges against Alameda police officer Eric McKinley in the 2021 death of Mario Gonzalez, the District Attorney's office announced.
The dismissal came Friday after inconsistencies in testimony from Dr. Bennett Omalu, the forensic pathology expert for the family of Gonzalez, a press release issued Friday noted.
Gonzalez died on April 19, 2021, while being detained by McKinley and two other officers, James Fisher and Cameron Leahy after a disturbance call. He was restrained face-down and in handcuffs at the time, the press release further noted.
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Prosecutors have previously dismissed charges against Fisher and Leahy, leaving McKinley as the sole defendant.
Dr. Omalu, who performed a second autopsy for Gonzalez's family, concluded the cause of death was "restraint asphyxiation," conflicting with the Alameda County Coroner's finding of "toxic effects of methamphetamine," prosecutors said.
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Dr. Omalu recently filed a request to avoid testifying in court and submitted a statement under oath that conflicted with his earlier testimony in the civil case, the DA's office said.
Prosecutors said the inconsistencies prevented them from proving McKinley's role beyond a reasonable doubt.
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