In yet another example of systemic corruption, the former EMTs responsible for administering a fatal dose of ketamine to Elijah McClain face no real accountability.
Aurora, CO — In August of 2019, 23 year old Elijah McClain was walking home in his neighborhood after just purchasing a bottle of iced tea. He had committed no crime. Despite this, one of his neighbors called the police due to the fact that he was wearing a mask, which he reportedly regularly did due to being anemic. Shortly thereafter, Aurora police arrived on the scene and initiated contact with McClain, claiming that he “matched the description” of a suspect.
Within moments the officers unjustly initiated force against McClain, later attempting to justify their actions by claiming he attempted to reach for one of their guns although this is disputed by body camera evidence. As the scuffle ensued officers took McClain to the ground, placing him in an illegal chokehold maneuver restricting his air flow. As McClain struggled under the strangulation of his assailants, violently vomiting, he attempted multiple times to inform them that he couldn’t breathe, yet still they persisted. Eventually, officers called the Aurora Fire Department to the scene, where upon arrival two paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, injected McClain with 500mg of ketamine, a strong sedative.
After being choked out and forcibly drugged for committing no crime, McClain went into cardiac arrest twice while on the way to the hospital, leading to his death.
By all accounts Elijah McClain was an upstanding member of his community, a massage therapist and self taught violinist who volunteered at animal shelters playing music for adoptive dogs and cats. He had never even received a speeding ticket in his life.
In his last few words on this planet, McClain could be heard saying, “I’m an introvert. I’m just different. That’s all. I’m so sorry. I have no gun. I don’t do that stuff. I don’t do any fighting. Why are you attacking me? I don’t even kill flies! I don’t eat meat! But I don’t judge people, I don’t judge people who do eat meat. Forgive me … I’m so sorry.”
In 2021, nearly a year and a half after his murder, an independent investigation commissioned by the city of Aurora found that police had no legal basis to stop McClain, much less choke and drug him to death. Furthermore, the investigation found police deliberately defrauded initial inquiries in an attempt to exonerate the officers.
Now, it has been reported that Cooper and Cichuniec, the two paramedics responsible for giving McClain the lethal injection, have had their convictions overturned.
According to the Atlanta Black Star, the two former paramedics had their homicide convictions overturned last week over a legal technicality.
Hellbound and Down 