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Man pleads not guilty to killing Salinas police officer

Posted at 1:09 PM, Mar 02, 2022
and last updated 2022-03-02 16:09:42-05

SALINAS, Calif. (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting a central California police officer during a traffic stop last weekend has pleaded not guilty to murder.

The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office says Gustavo Matias Morales was arraigned Tuesday on a murder charge with a special circumstance for killing a police officer. Salinas Police Officer Jorge David Alvarado was killed during a shootout that erupted after he pulled over a car late Friday.

Morales was arrested when he showed up at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital with a gunshot wound. Investigators have not said what was the traffic violation or what led to the shootout.