A Colorado grand jury has indicted three police officers and two paramedics in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who was killed after being put in a chokehold and injected with 500 milligrams of ketamine – more than 1 1/2 times the dose for his weight.
His tragic death seemingly flew under the radar until amassing widespread attention from the public last year during the civil unrest and protests against racial injustice after the murder of George Floyd.
McClain was walking home from the store on the night of Aug. 24, 2019, when officers stopped him after responding to a report that McClain wore a ski mask into the store and looked “sketchy.”
After an officer accused him of reaching for one of their weapons, McClain was forced to the ground with his hands cuffed behind his back and held in a chokehold. Shortly thereafter paramedics arrived and administered ketamine to sedate him. He went into cardiac arrest on the scene and was removed off life support on Aug. 30 after being declared brain dead.
McClain was never accused of committing a crime.
This news comes over a year after three officers were fired, one of them being involved in the 23-year old’s death, and one resigned over the four being seen in images mocking McClain’s death.
All five officers involved were charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of criminally negligent homicide. The two paramedics are also facing one count of second-degree assault with the intent to cause bodily injury and caused bodily injury, one count of second-degree assault for recklessly causing serious bodily injury, and one count of second-degree assault for a purpose other than lawful medical or therapeutic treatment intentionally causing stupor, unconsciousness, or other physical or mental impairment or injury to McClain by administering a drug (ketamine) without consent.
“Nothing will bring back my son, but I am thankful that his killers will finally be held accountable,” McClain’s father, LaWayne Mosley, said on Wednesday, Sept. 1, to the press.
