(Photo : Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)
AURORA, CO - JULY 25: A man holds up an upside-down flag as people shut down I-225 to protest the death of Elijah McClain on July 25, 2020 in Aurora, Colorado. A car drove through the protest further along during the march and a protestor was also shot. On August 24, 2019 McClain was walking home when he was forcibly detained by three Aurora police officers and was injected with ketamine after officers requested assistance from the Aurora Fire Rescue. McClain suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital that night and died six days later.
Three Colorado police officers and two paramedics were indicted by a grand jury for the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist, in August 2019, who was stopped while walking home from a store for allegedly acting suspiciously.
The suspects were identified as Aurora police officers Randy Roedema and Nathan Woodyard, former officer Jason Rosenblatt, and Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec. The five men were indicted of manslaughter and criminal negligent homicide in a 32-count indictment.
Police and Parademics Charged with Manslaughter
Authorities also indicted Roedema and Rosenblatt with one count of assault and one count of crime violence each while Cooper and Cichuniec were indicted on three counts of assault and six counts of crime of violence. The 23-year-old victim had his whole life ahead of him and it was taken away, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said.
At the time of the Black man's death, Adams County District Attorney Dave Young refused to file criminal charges, arguing prosecutors lacked evidence to prove that officers caused the death of McClain. But after protests in Aurora and a viral online petition, Gov. Jared Polis later announced a re-investigation of the case last year, CNN reported.
In the United States, it is uncommon that police officers face criminal charges for in-custody deaths of Black people. It is even rarer for similar convictions, such as the ones in McClain's case, to occur. On Wednesday, Weiser acknowledged the struggles that prosecutors face moving forward during a news conference.
The legal expert noted that McClain's case will be difficult to prosecute because of its circumstances. But he said that their goal was to give justice to the victim's family, friends, and the state. Weiser said they wanted everyone to be accountable and equal under the law.
"Nothing will bring back my son, but I am thankful that his killers will finally be held accountable," LaWayne Mosley, McClain's father, said.
McClain died less than a week after he was stopped by police officers while he was walking home on a street in Aurora, Colorado on Aug. 24, 2019. The suspects later placed the victim in a chokehold and injected the 23-year-old with ketamine, a sedative, CNBC reported.
Acting Suspiciously
The encounter was brought about by a 911 call that alleged McClain was acting suspiciously while wearing a face mask and waving his arms around. Police video showed officers restraining the young massage therapist who shouted, "I can't breathe, please."
Authorities said the amount of ketamine that officers used on McClain were appropriate for a man 50 pounds heavier. Aurora police said that the victim "resisted contact, a struggle ensued, and he was taken into custody."
Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson took over the department last year and has pledged to restore trust in her station. She said that officials will be cooperating with authorities to continue the judicial process.
The president of Aurora's branch of the Fraternal Order of Police, which claims to be the largest police union in the city, Marc Sears, said they supported the suspects and said they were innocent until proven guilty, Yahoo News reported.
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