Key takeaways:
- Officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault.
- Officer Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault.
- The jury’s verdict brings closure to a case that has been closely watched by many in the community and beyond.
A Colorado jury has reached a split verdict in Adams County Court for two Aurora police officers who were on trial for the death of Elijah McClain. Officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault, while Officer Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault.
The jury reached its verdict around 4:20 p.m. Thursday and the judge read the verdicts less than 30 minutes later.
McClain, an unarmed young Black man, died in 2019 after he was put in a chokehold and injected with a powerful sedative by Aurora police officers. The incident sparked widespread publicity inside and outside of Colorado and led to large-scale protests and reforms in Aurora’s police department.
Roedema has been suspended without pay while Rosenblatt was fired in 2020 after responding “ha ha” to a picture texted to him by other officers, one of whom appeared to be administering a chokehold near a memorial for McClain.
The jury’s verdict brings closure to a case that has been closely watched by many in the community and beyond. It remains to be seen what the consequences will be for Roedema, who was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault.
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