Colorado Jury Finds Two Paramedics Guilty of Criminally Negligent Homicide in Death of Elijah McClain

A Colorado jury on Friday found two paramedics guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who was walking home in Aurora, Colorado in 2019. Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and Cichuniec was also found guilty of assault in the second degree through the unlawful administration of drugs.

The incident began when police officers confronted McClain and then the Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics injected him with ketamine. Body camera video from an Aurora police officer shows paramedics injecting Elijah McClain with ketamine. He went into cardiac arrest in an ambulance a few minutes later and died three days later.

Cichuniec and Cooper, who were suspended after being charged, were among five first responders who were criminally charged in connection with McClain’s death. Cooper was acquitted of two assault charges against him.

The jury’s decision comes after a long and arduous process that has been ongoing since McClain’s death in 2019. The case has been closely watched by civil rights activists and has sparked a national conversation about police brutality and systemic racism.

The guilty verdicts are a major victory for the family of Elijah McClain and for the civil rights movement as a whole. It is a reminder that justice can be served and that those responsible for the death of an innocent man will be held accountable.