Dec. 23 (UPI) — Two Colorado paramedics have been found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, 23, who died from heart failure after being injected with ketamine during a medical intervention.
Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec were convicted of criminally negligent homicide on Friday, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser confirmed.
On Aug. 24, 2019, police received a report of a “suspicious” person wearing a ski mask. Three officers responded and wrestled McClain to the ground and put him in a hold that cutting off his circulation.
After he was restrained, Cichuniec injected McClain with ketamine, causing his heart to stop.
In addition to being convicted of criminally negligent homicide, Cichuniec was convicted of second-degree assault by drugging.
Earlier this year, officers Jason Rosenblatt and Nathan Woodyard, who were involved in the intervention, were found not guilty on charges related to the death.
In October, Officer Randy Roedema was convicted on criminally negligent homicide charges and is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Cooper’s attorney said his client had acted appropriately.
“We saw it. We saw it in action. They assessed Mr. McClain and saw that he was breathing,” Cooper’s attorney Michael Pellow told reporters after the verdict as the victim’s mother, Sheneen McClain, shed tears behind a podium.
“We are satisfied with today’s verdict, and we are confident that bringing these cases to trial was the right thing to do for justice,” Weiser said, emphasizing that McClain had not committed any crime.
“Elijah did nothing wrong that evening, his life mattered, and he should be here today,” the attorney general said. “Accountability does not end with these trials. Too many times we have seen people die when officers unnecessarily escalate situations that don’t call for the use of force.”
