Biff_Poindexter
Diamond Member
Grand jury in Elijah McClain investigation indicts officers, medics in 2019 death
The announcement comes just over two years since the death of McClain, 23, who had told police, "I can't breathe," after they placed him in a chokehold.
www.nbcnews.com
"Two police officers, one former officer and two paramedics in Aurora, Colorado, will face charges in the death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who was detained and placed in a chokehold in a confrontation with police in 2019. The indictment comes after an eight-month grand jury investigation convened by Colorado's top prosecutor. The officers named in the indictment are Nathan Woodyard and Randy Roedema and former officer Jason Rosenblatt. The paramedics are Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec; all charged with 32 counts including manslaughter. McClain's encounter with police in Aurora, a Denver suburb, began just after 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 24, 2019, after he bought iced tea from a corner store.
Three Aurora police officers responded to a report of a suspicious person wearing a mask and waving his arms. Bodycam video later released showed officers ordering McClain to stop. He responded that he was an introvert and to "please respect the boundaries that I am speaking." Aurora police said in a statement that he "resisted contact, a struggle ensued, and he was taken into custody." Authorities said officers applied a carotid control hold on McClain, Paramedics were called to the scene, and McClain was injected with ketamine to sedate him after police video showed him writhing on the ground saying, "I can't breathe, please," and vomiting. He apologized for vomiting. About seven minutes after he received the drug, McClain was found to have no pulse in the ambulance and went into cardiac arrest."
By all accounts, this was a pretty good guy...he may have been autistic which could explain his initial reaction....I mean, the guy even apologized for vomiting while they were choking him out and injecting him with ketamine...Now, I don't think these charges will stick once this goes to court...when officers say "he resisted arrest" or "he didn't comply with commands" or the ever popular "we feared for our safety" -- those are usually slam dunks for acquittals...especially from the "police can do no wrong" crowd -- unless of course, the guy was doing performative cosplay along with 1000's of others while storming the Capitol in hopes of overturning the election.