READ NEXT: Suspected Human Scalp With Braids Found at Missouri Campground, Elijah McClain: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. BRIGHTON, Colo. A group of police officers and paramedics pleaded not guilty Friday to charges stemming from the role they are accused of playing in the death of a 23-year-old Black man . To promote a singular messagewear a maskamong a diverse American population, future resources should consider the social-ecological attributes influencing the intended audience. His case was closed and the police officers involved were allowed to return to work. According to the petition, the officers used excessive force unnecessarily. 2022 Mighty Proud Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. George Floyd, murdered by police in Minneapolis. An autopsy report by the Adams County coroner said that the cause of death was undetermined, and that it could have been a result of natural causes, a homicide related to the carotid hold or an accident. I know he was giving life to other people too.. While you may think this is normal in Colorado in November, remember that he died in November 2019, but the arrest happened on August 24, 2019. "Weve been standing by the family throughout the case and the pain theyve suffered," Halpern told ABC News. The police killing of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado, did not attract much national attention when it happened this past August. Sadly, several days later Mr. McClain was taken off life support. When paramedics arrived, they gave him what was described as a therapeutic dose of ketamine; body camera footage shows that it made his body go limp when he was loaded onto a gurney. Mr. McClain stopped after several commands but said he had a right to continue toward home. "The Fourth Amendment prohibits the use of excessive force, and the right to be free from forcible injection is absolutely a recognized and protected liberty interest," Craven said. Hyoung Chang/MediaNewsGroup, via The Denver Post, via Getty Images, older cases in which people died after encounters with the police, indicted three police officers and two paramedics, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, settle the civil rights lawsuit for $15 million. . The day the lawsuit was filed, Mr. Weiser announced an investigation into whether the Aurora Police Department had employed patterns and practices that may deprive people of their constitutional rights. Hey Florida! It means Elijah McClain was given ketamine in the police encounter that killed him because its use in that context is explicitly permitted in his state and its abuse is nearly impossible to hold to account. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. #JusticeForElijah #SAYHISNAME pic.twitter.com/6bf6fKhihW, He often developed friendships with his massage clients, like April Young, who told the Sentinel, He had a child-like spirit He lived in his own little world. It is also markedly higher than doses recommended for pain relief, which raises the question of whether the dose was intended to produce a second unconsciousness (as opposed to conscious lethargy or calm). An Aurora Fire Department press release said ketamine is "routinely utilized to reduce agitation" during arrests. From the beginning, the 911 caller describes him active very strangely, waving his arms around, and wearing a ski-mask. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. McClain was wearing headphones and a ski mask over his face because of a chronic health condition and did not stop when police called to him. Meanwhile, the paramedics each face one count of second-degree assault with intent to cause bodily injury; second-degree assault for recklessly causing serious bodily injury by means of a deadly weapon (ketamine); and one count of second-degree assault for a purpose other than lawful medical or therapeutic treatment. Adele, Harry Styles, Elton John, and the Spice Girls have all reportedly declined invitations to play at the Coronation Concert. Therefore, no state criminal charges will be filed as a result of this incident., Metz subsequently called the officers threats to McClain unprofessional, and said that the comment had been addressed with that officer through a written corrective action. Newman, meanwhile, told the Sentinel: If Aurora thinks this is appropriate policing, the community should be petrified. McClain died in the hospital three days later. I am an introvert. They said he wore ski masks because he had a blood condition that made him feel cold. At the time of the injection, the report states, Mr. Oops! They put him in two carotid holds, a move that involves an officer applying pressure to the side of a persons neck to temporarily cut off blood flow to the brain. Elijah McClain GoFundMe/Sheneen McClain On August 23, 2019, McClain was walking home just after 10:30 p.m. after buying tea from a local convenience store. The Aurora Police Association has not yet responded to ABC News' request for comment. All five defendants have been scheduled to appear in court for arraignment on Aug. 12, according to court documents. On Aug. 24, 2019, a 23-year-old . HE DESERVED BETTER. The officers eventually brought him to the ground, claiming he had reached for one of their guns while they were pinning him against a wall to handcuff him. Why the person behind Libs of TikTok doesn't matter, Finland is voting to join NATO, but Hungary is joining Turkey as an obstacle, Why Fox News pushed Trump's bogus election claims, Tennessee governor says photo of him in skirt and wig irrelevant to drag show ban, Jupiter and Venus to 'kiss' in the night sky Wednesday evening, Hyundai recalls 65,000 cars over possible exploding seatbelts, Why space experts want to establish a lunar time zone, Sign up for The Week's "Today's best articles" newsletter here. Elijah McClain's family says the conflict involved a deadly use of excessive force. McClain died after an encounter with police officers and paramedics in 2019. The coroner listed McClains cause of death as undetermined, but points to hemorrhaging in his neck and abrasions on different parts of his body. The answer, perhaps unsurprisingly, is because public officials and fellow police officers in Aurora immediately used the apparatuses of local government to stifle any real investigation and to. The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Some medical experts worry about its use during police calls. said he felt it was crucial to put together a code of rules regarding the use of the carotid pressure ban to ensure its impact. It is unclear what exactly caused Mr. McClain to go into cardiac arrest. When an independent report investigating the August 2019 death of Elijah McClain was released in February, it found that police had no legally justifiable reason to stop McClain that evening let alone search him and restrain him with multiple carotid chokeholds. An autopsy report by the Adams County coroner said that the cause of death was "undetermined," and that it could have been. That's not a crime. McClains autopsy also raised questions. He is actually a victim., I looked at everything that happened to him because its my responsibility, she added. After officers restrained him on the ground, he vomited several times, for which he apologized, saying, Im sorry, I wasnt trying to do that, I cant breathe correctly.. The Adams County Coroner announced in early November 2019 that it wasnt clear whether his death had been an accident, or carotid holdrelated homicide, or the result of natural causes. Body positivity was my salvation from an anti-fat world. Some people had to be resuscitated or intubated. Some were strapped to ambulance stretchers. According to the camera footage, the officer responded, saying he had a right to stop Mr. McClain for looking suspicious, and grabbed him by the arms. "That was awesome," Sheneen said. Advocates also honored McClains life, who Newman said was a kind, loving person who made friends everywhere he went., He was a person who, immediately before this whole event, was in a convenience store making friends with strangers, Newmanadded. In theory, it shouldn't be, Cato Institute legal scholar James Craven told me. Two years after his death, a Colorado grand jury indicted three police officers and two paramedics on charges including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. In June 2020, Colorado Gov. The officers stopped McClain, a massage therapist, after a 911 call on Aug. 24 reported him as suspicious because he was wearing a ski mask and flailing his arms. As outrage over police brutality erupted across the country in the wake of George Floyds death, a wave of fresh attention and scrutiny was applied to older cases in which people died after encounters with the police. Because he had a blood circulation disorder that made it difficult for him to chill out, he wore a ski mask as well as warm clothing. Brittney Griner Made Everyone Emotional at the NAACP Awards. The indictment accuses the paramedics of failing to follow medical protocols before and after they injected Mr. McClain with ketamine. 0:57. Some may feel that mask wearing identifies them as weak or scared of the virus, which can resonate as harmful gendered norms of not feeling strong or masculine, Dr. Casola says. The risk in a Biden reversal of medical conscience protections. The national attention continued through the summer; at the US Open, tennis player Naomi Osaka wore an Elijah McClain mask. After a struggle Mr. McClain was transported to a local area hospital. According to the Sentinel, he often spent his lunch breaks at local animal shelters, putting on concerts for cats and dogs because he believed music would help soothe their anxiety. 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