Killing of Elijah McClain
Death after police restraint and excessive ketamine injection.
The NBC News article noted that neuroscientist Carl Hart commented, "Why anyone would be giving ketamine in that circumstance is beyond me"[1] The same source stated that Cina found "no evidence that injuries inflicted by the police contributed to death".[2] The Sentinel Colorado article quoted friends and family describing McClain as a "spiritual seeker, pacifist, oddball, vegetarian, athlete, and peacemaker who was exceedingly gentle".[3] According to the same source, McClain had no prior arrests or criminal charges in Colorado.[3]
Quick Facts
- Victim
- Elijah Jovan McClain
- Age at death
- 23
- Date of death
- August 30, 2019
- Location
- Aurora, Colorado
- Cause of death
- complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint
- Ketamine dose administered
- 500 mg
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and facts
In September 2021, a Colorado grand jury indicted the three officers and two paramedics on charges including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.[4] Both paramedics were found guilty of negligent homicide in December 2023, but their homicide convictions were overturned on June 4, 2026.[5] Around 10:30 p.m. on August 24, 2019, a civilian in Aurora called 9-1-1 about a male wearing a ski mask and flailing his arms on Billings Street; the caller stated the person did not appear armed and that no one was in immediate danger.[6][3] While still at the scene, McClain suffered cardiac arrest; he was declared brain dead on August 27, 2019.[7][8]
In October 2023, Officer Randy Roedema was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and assault; in January 2024, Judge Mark Warner sentenced him to 14 months in jail.[9]
References
- Ortiz, "Elijah McClain was injected with ketamine while handcuffed. Some medical experts worry about its use during police calls.", NBC News, July 1, 2020. facts only, no text reused. nbcnews.com
- "Amended autopsy report for Elijah McClain cites 'complications of ketamine' as cause of death", Denver 7 Colorado News (KMGH), September 23, 2022. facts only, no text reused. denver7.com
- Stringer, "Unlikely Suspect: Those who knew Elijah balk at Aurora police account of his death", Sentinel Colorado, October 27, 2019. facts only, no text reused. sentinelcolorado.com
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Elijah McClain" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chan, "Grand jury indicts police officers and paramedics in 2019 death of Elijah McClain", CNN, September 1, 2021; Healy, "Three Officers and Two Paramedics Are Charged in Elijah McClain's Death", The New York Times, September 1, 2021; "Elijah McClain: Five officials charged in black man's death", BBC News, September 1, 2021; "Opening statements in Nathan Woodyard trial related to Elijah McClain's death to begin Tuesday - CBS Colorado", www.cbsnews.com, 2023-10-16; "2nd police officer acquitted in death of Elijah McClain, who en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Elijah McClain" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Slevin, "Prosecutors say paramedics ignored Elijah McClain's distress after stop and killed him with overdose", The Associated Press, 29 November 2023; Sarles, "Elijah McClain death: Paramedics who injected Colorado Black man with ketamine found guilty - CBS Colorado", CBS News.com, December 22, 2023; McRae, "Former Colorado paramedic sentenced to 5 years after conviction in death of Elijah McClain - CBS Colorado", www.cbsnews.com, March 1, 2024; Alfonseca, "Paramedic sentenced to 4 years probation in connection with Elijah Mc en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Elijah McClain" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Elijah McClain Killing 911 Call & Police Body Cam Footage Transcript", Rev, August 25, 2019; Stringer, "Unlikely Suspect: Those who knew Elijah balk at Aurora police account of his death", Sentinel Colorado, October 27, 2019; Swindler, "Elijah McClain's death and what happened next: a timeline", Colorado Public Radio, November 19, 2021 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Elijah McClain" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Niebert, "Colorado reopens inquiry into 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man put into chokehold by police", Chicago Tribune, June 25, 2020; Chan, "Grand jury indicts police officers and paramedics in 2019 death of Elijah McClain", CNN, September 1, 2021 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Elijah McClain" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Elijah McClain: 'No legal basis' for detention that led to death", BBC News, February 22, 2021; Snowdon, "Aurora lawmakers demand new Elijah McClain death query; chief mandates new police procedures", Sentinel Colorado, June 11, 2020; Stringer, "Unlikely Suspect: Those who knew Elijah balk at Aurora police account of his death", Sentinel Colorado, October 27, 2019 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Killing of Elijah McClain" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Babineau, "One officer who arrested Elijah McClain convicted of criminally negligent homicide; second officer acquitted", CNN, October 12, 2023; Bradbury, "Only Aurora police officer convicted in Elijah McClain's death receives 14-month jail sentence: Judge sentences Randy Roedema to jail and 4 years or probation in connection with 2019 death", The Denver Post, J (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Killing of Elijah McClain (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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