MIAMI – A North Miami police officer charged in a controversial shooting was arraigned Friday on several charges.
Officer Jonathon Aledda is charged with two counts of attempted manslaughter and two counts of culpable negligence.
Aledda did not appear in court for his arraignment.
"My client has entered a plea of not guilty," Aledda's attorney, Douglas Hartman, told Local 10 News. "He says he's innocent and he's going to go to trial."
Aledda was arrested earlier this year, months after the July 2016 shooting of Charles Kinsey.
Cellphone video showed the unarmed behavioral therapist lying on his back on the ground with his hands in the air.
Sitting next to him was his patient, an autistic man, identified as Arnaldo Rios, who was holding a toy truck that officers believed was a gun.
Investigators said Aledda, who has been with the North Miami Police Department for four years, fired his rifle three times.
Kinsey was hit once.
The shot reportedly came after another officer radioed that the toy did not appear to be gun.
Prosecutors said Aledda's actions could have been deadly.
Kinsey was also not in the courtroom Friday, but his lawyer was there. He wouldn't say much because of pending federal litigation surrounding the shooting.
"Obviously, this case is important to our civil case," Hilton Napolean said. "This case is important to a lot of people and we're monitoring it."
Aledda's trial has been scheduled for Oct. 10.