Paramedics Convicted in Elijah McClain’s 2019 Death: Landmark Verdict
In a significant development, two paramedics from the Aurora Fire Department were convicted on Friday in the tragic 2019 death of Elijah McClain. The young massage therapist succumbed to a lethal combination of police intervention and the administration of a powerful sedative, ketamine.
Jeremy Cooper and Lt. Peter Cichuniec faced charges of criminally negligent homicide after a weeks-long trial. The jury’s decision also found Cichuniec guilty on one of two second-degree assault charges, while Cooper was acquitted on assault charges. This verdict follows earlier outcomes in which two police officers were acquitted, and one was convicted in connection with McClain’s fatal encounter.
Such convictions against paramedics are exceedingly rare, with experts highlighting the unusual nature of prosecuting emergency medical services workers in cases like this.
Elijah McClain, aged 23, was walking home from a store on August 24, 2019, when Aurora police stopped him based on a 911 caller’s report describing him as “sketchy.” Despite being unarmed and not accused of any crime, McClain was violently restrained by three officers, who employed a since-banned carotid artery chokehold.
During the trial, jurors were presented with conflicting narratives. Body camera footage contradicted statements from Cooper and Cichuniec, who claimed that McClain was actively resisting officers. The paramedics asserted that McClain was suffering from “excited delirium,” a disputed condition not recognized by many medical groups and associated with racial bias against Black men. Cooper injected McClain with an excessive 500 milligrams of ketamine, surpassing the recommended dosage for his weight.
Breaking news: A Colorado jury determined two Aurora paramedics were responsible for the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, convicting them in the final trial of a case that helped fuel mass protests in response to police use of force against Black Americans. https://t.co/3WfHdQOXvO
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) December 23, 2023
McClain’s death, attributed to “complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint,” gained national attention amid heightened scrutiny of police actions following the 2020 murder of George Floyd.
In 2021, the city of Aurora settled a federal civil rights lawsuit brought by McClain’s parents, agreeing to pay $15 million.
The legal proceedings also saw Aurora police officer Randy Roedema found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault, with sentencing scheduled for January. Meanwhile, officers Jason Rosenblatt and Nathan Woodyard were acquitted. Rosenblatt had been fired in 2020 over a photo reenacting McClain’s death, while Woodyard, who returned to the force, will receive over $212,000 in back pay.
Aurora, prompted by a 2021 civil rights investigation, agreed to implement reforms after violations of state and federal law were identified. Changes include addressing racially biased policing, excessive force, failure to record community interactions, and the unlawful administration of ketamine. The recent removal of “excited delirium” from the state training curriculum reflects ongoing efforts to rectify systemic issues within law enforcement practices.