Paramedics overdosed Elijah McClain with a sedative he didn’t need, prosecutor says
1 year, 3 months ago

Paramedics overdosed Elijah McClain with a sedative he didn’t need, prosecutor says

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — A Colorado prosecutor told jurors Wednesday in a criminal trial against two paramedics that they failed to properly care for Elijah McClain when they overdosed the Black man with a sedative that he didn’t need, leading to his death following a 2019 police encounter. Defense attorneys have argued the paramedics followed their training in giving ketamine to McClain after deciding he had “excited delirium,” a disputed condition some say is unscientific and has been used to justify excessive force. Cichuniec attorney David Goddard said it was “entirely reasonable” for the paramedics to believe McClain was suffering from excited delirium and needed ketamine, based on seeing McClain being held down by three officers and police descriptions of his behavior. But social justice protests over the 2020 murder of George Floyd drew renewed attention to McClain’s case — which led to the 2021 indictment of the police officers and paramedics.

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History of this topic

Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police

New Indian Express  

In time, its use became standard from Las Vegas to Columbus, Ohio, to Palm Beach County, Florida. In 2006, a grand jury that investigated Taser-related deaths in Miami-Dade recommended an untested treatment that it said could save people before they died from excited delirium: squirting midazolam up their noses to cause "almost immediate sedation." "A lot of talk took place …

Paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with ketamine before his death avoids prison
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with ketamine before his death avoids prison

LA Times  

Former paramedic Jeremy Cooper, who injected Elijah McClain with ketamine before his death, sits in court for sentencing on Friday. Close to tears, McClain ended by raising her right fist in the air and saying loudly, “From my heart to my hands, long live Elijah McClain, always and forever.” She later told reporters that she wasn’t expecting much from the …

At least 15 people died in Texas after medics injected sedatives during encounters with police
10 months, 3 weeks ago

At least 15 people died in Texas after medics injected sedatives during encounters with police

Associated Press  

At least 15 people died in Texas over a decade following a physical encounter with police during which medical personnel also injected them with a powerful sedative, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found. The deaths were among more than 1,000 that AP’s investigation documented across the United States of people who died after officers used, not their …

Takeaways from AP’s investigation into fatal police encounters involving injections of sedatives
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Takeaways from AP’s investigation into fatal police encounters involving injections of sedatives

Associated Press  

The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police spread quietly across the nation over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found. At least 94 people died after they were given sedatives and restrained by police from 2012 through 2021, according to findings by …

Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Dozens of deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police

Associated Press  

Demetrio Jackson was desperate for medical help when the paramedics arrived. An officer wondered aloud whether Jackson had “excited delirium” and asked a colleague if paramedics were “going to stand around and do nothing.” He voiced approval when one arrived with ketamine, adding Jackson would not like it “when he gets poked.” The Eau Claire Fire Department’s excited delirium protocol …

Paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with ketamine avoids prison
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with ketamine avoids prison

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — A former paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with a powerful sedative avoided prison Friday and was sentenced to 14 months in jail with work release and probation in the killing of the Black man that helped fuel the 2020 racial injustice protests. Judge Mark Warner said evidence showed Cooper did not purposely give McClain a ketamine overdose, …

Second paramedic involved in Elijah McClain’s death sentenced to probation, work release and community service
10 months, 3 weeks ago

Second paramedic involved in Elijah McClain’s death sentenced to probation, work release and community service

CNN  

CNN — Jeremy Cooper, a former paramedic in Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced to four years probation, 14 months of work release and 100 hours of community service on Friday. Prosecutors had argued the paramedics acted recklessly in administering a large amount of the powerful sedative ketamine to McClain, who had been violently subdued by police after they said McClain was …

Paramedic Gets 5 Years In Prison For Elijah McClain’s Death In Rare Case Against Medical Responders
1 year ago

Paramedic Gets 5 Years In Prison For Elijah McClain’s Death In Rare Case Against Medical Responders

Huff Post  

Paramedic Peter Cichuniec, convicted for his role in Elijah McClain's death sits in court before his sentencing on Friday, March 1, 2024 in Brighton, Colo. Cichuniec was sentenced to five years in prison for the death of McClain in a rare prosecution of medical responders that has left officials rethinking how they treat people in police custody. via Associated Press …

Paramedic gets 5 years in prison for Elijah McClain’s death in rare case against medical responders
1 year ago

Paramedic gets 5 years in prison for Elijah McClain’s death in rare case against medical responders

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — A Colorado paramedic was sentenced Friday to five years in prison in a rare prosecution of medical responders following the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became part of the rallying cries for social justice that swept the U.S. in 2020. In testimony before the sentence was handed down by Judge Mark Warner, Sheneen …

Paramedic gets 5 years in prison for Elijah McClain’s death in rare case against medical responders
1 year ago

Paramedic gets 5 years in prison for Elijah McClain’s death in rare case against medical responders

LA Times  

Sheneen McClain, left, the mother of Elijah McClain, and supporters leave the courthouse in Brighton, Colo., on Friday. In testimony before the sentence was handed down by Judge Mark Warner, Sheneen McClain said she once dreamed of being a firefighter and considered them heroes “until the day they took my son’s life.” “You are a local hero no more,” she …

Former Colorado police officer appeals conviction in Black man Elijah McClain’s death
1 year, 1 month ago

Former Colorado police officer appeals conviction in Black man Elijah McClain’s death

Associated Press  

DENVER — A former Colorado police officer is appealing his conviction by a jury for his role in the death of Eljiah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man who died after being stopped by police in a Denver suburb in 2019. He was sentenced to 14 months in jail at a hearing last month in which McClain’s mother called him a …

Former Colorado police officer appeals conviction in Black man Elijah McClain's death
1 year, 1 month ago

Former Colorado police officer appeals conviction in Black man Elijah McClain's death

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A former Colorado police officer is appealing his …

Paramedics were convicted in Elijah McClain’s death. That could make other first responders pause
1 year, 3 months ago

Paramedics were convicted in Elijah McClain’s death. That could make other first responders pause

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — Two Denver-area paramedics were convicted Friday for giving a fatal overdose of the sedative ketamine to Elijah McClain in 2019 — a jury verdict that experts said could have a chilling effect on first responders around the country. Sheneen McClain, right, is consoled by Omar Montgomery, president of the Aurora NAACP, as Midian Holmes, a friend of …

Paramedics found guilty in death of Elijah McClain, who they injected with an overdose of ketamine
1 year, 3 months ago

Paramedics found guilty in death of Elijah McClain, who they injected with an overdose of ketamine

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two Denver-area paramedics were convicted Friday in the …

US paramedics found guilty in 2019 death of Black man Elijah McClain
1 year, 3 months ago

US paramedics found guilty in 2019 death of Black man Elijah McClain

Al Jazeera  

McClain fell unconscious after police put him in a chokehold before paramedics injected him with powerful sedative. Two paramedics in the western US state of Colorado have been found guilty of criminally negligent homicide for their role in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who died after police roughly detained him, put him in a chokehold, …

Paramedics found guilty in Elijah McClain’s death following ketamine injection
1 year, 3 months ago

Paramedics found guilty in Elijah McClain’s death following ketamine injection

LA Times  

Paramedics Jeremy Cooper, far left, and Peter Cichuniec, far right, head into court in Brighton, Colo., with support on Friday to hear their verdicts in Elijah McClain’s death during a 2019 police stop outside Denver. After an officer said McClain reached for an officer’s gun — a claim disputed by prosecutors — another officer put him in a neck hold …

Paramedics are rarely charged if someone they’re treating dies. The Elijah McClain trial is testing that
1 year, 3 months ago

Paramedics are rarely charged if someone they’re treating dies. The Elijah McClain trial is testing that

CNN  

CNN — A guilty verdict against two Colorado paramedics for the 2019 death of Elijah McClain could have a chilling effect nationwide, experts said, due to the unprecedented nature of a criminal case against medics who are largely protected from liability while treating people in emergencies. What makes the case against Cooper and Cichuniec stand out among other claims against …

Paramedics told investigators that Elijah McClain had ‘excited delirium,’ a disputed condition
1 year, 3 months ago

Paramedics told investigators that Elijah McClain had ‘excited delirium,’ a disputed condition

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — Two paramedics on trial over the 2019 death of Elijah McClain told investigators in videotaped interviews previously unseen by the public that the 23-year-old Black man had " excited delirium,” a disputed condition some say is unscientific and rooted in racism. But social justice protests over the 2020 murder of George Floyd drew renewed attention to McClain’s …

Paramedics told investigators that Elijah McClain had 'excited delirium,' a disputed condition
1 year, 3 months ago

Paramedics told investigators that Elijah McClain had 'excited delirium,' a disputed condition

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Two paramedics on trial over the 2019 death …

Prosecutors say paramedics ignored Elijah McClain’s distress after stop and killed him with overdose
1 year, 3 months ago

Prosecutors say paramedics ignored Elijah McClain’s distress after stop and killed him with overdose

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — Two paramedics “did nothing” to help an ailing Elijah McClain as he lay on the ground, a Colorado prosecutor said Wednesday, and instead they overdosed him with a powerful sedative that killed the 23-year-old Black man after officers forcibly restrained him as he walked home from a convenience store. One said there was not much the paramedics …

Final trial over Elijah McClain’s death in suburban Denver spotlights paramedics’ role
1 year, 3 months ago

Final trial over Elijah McClain’s death in suburban Denver spotlights paramedics’ role

Associated Press  

DENVER — The final trial over the 2019 death of Elijah McClain after he was stopped by police in suburban Denver is expected to delve into largely uncharted legal territory, with paramedics, not officers, being prosecuted this time. But in 2021, social justice protests over the 2020 murder of George Floyd drew renewed attention to McClain’s case, prompting an indictment …

What to know about Elijah McClain’s death and the cases against police and paramedics
1 year, 4 months ago

What to know about Elijah McClain’s death and the cases against police and paramedics

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — A jury has acquitted a Denver-area police officer of manslaughter, following trial testimony that he put Elijah McClain in a neck hold before the Black man was injected with the powerful sedative ketamine by paramedics and died. Assistant Attorney General Ann Joyce said McClain didn’t try to get a gun, but defense attorney Megan Downing said Woodyard …

What to know about Elijah McClain's death and the cases against police and paramedics
1 year, 5 months ago

What to know about Elijah McClain's death and the cases against police and paramedics

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jurors delivered a split verdict …

1 Officer Convicted, 1 Acquitted In Death Of Elijah McClain
1 year, 5 months ago

1 Officer Convicted, 1 Acquitted In Death Of Elijah McClain

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING BRIGHTON, Colo. — Jurors convicted a Denver-area police officer Thursday of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault and acquitted another in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became a rallying cry in protests over racial injustice in policing. The officers told investigators they took McClain down after hearing Roedema say, “He grabbed …

1 of 2 Colorado officers convicted in Elijah McClain’s death after neck hold, ketamine injection
1 year, 5 months ago

1 of 2 Colorado officers convicted in Elijah McClain’s death after neck hold, ketamine injection

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — Jurors convicted a Denver-area police officer of homicide Thursday and acquitted another of all charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man who was put in a neck hold, pinned to the ground and given an overdose of the sedative ketamine by paramedics. Prosecutors alleged Rosenblatt held McClain’s legs when he was on the …

One Colorado officer convicted and another acquitted in death of Elijah McClain
1 year, 5 months ago

One Colorado officer convicted and another acquitted in death of Elijah McClain

LA Times  

Former Aurora, Colo., Police Officer Jason Rosenblatt, left, and Aurora Police Officer Randy Roedema attend an arraignment at the Adams County Justice Center on Jan. 20, 2023, in Brighton, Colo. Jurors convicted a Denver-area police officer Thursday and acquitted another in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became a rallying cry in protests over racial …

Prosecutors say Elijah McClain was just walking home as jury urged to convict officers in his death
1 year, 5 months ago

Prosecutors say Elijah McClain was just walking home as jury urged to convict officers in his death

Associated Press  

DENVER — Prosecutors seeking a conviction of two Colorado police officers in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain implored a jury during closing arguments Tuesday to remember that 23-year-old Black man was just trying to walk home the night he was put in a neck hold and and pinned down by the officers before paramedics injected him with a powerful …

Video of Elijah McClain’s stop by police shown as officers on trial in Black man’s death
1 year, 6 months ago

Video of Elijah McClain’s stop by police shown as officers on trial in Black man’s death

Associated Press  

BRIGHTON, Colo. — Elijah McClain’s mother left a Colorado courtroom in tears Friday after prosecutors showed video footage of the 23-year-old Black man pinned down by police officers during a fatal 2019 confrontation, which rose to prominence during nationwide protests over racial discrimination and excessive force in policing. The episode was captured by police body cameras, and prosecutors are leaning …

Amended autopsy: Black man died due to sedative, restraint
2 years, 6 months ago

Amended autopsy: Black man died due to sedative, restraint

Associated Press  

DENVER — A Black man died after a police encounter in a Denver suburb in 2019 because he was injected with a powerful sedative after being forcibly restrained, according to an amended autopsy report publicly released Friday. But a state grand jury last year indicted three officers and two paramedics on manslaughter and reckless homicide charges in McClain’s death after …

Sedative, restraint led to Black man’s death after Colorado police encounter, amended autopsy says
2 years, 6 months ago

Sedative, restraint led to Black man’s death after Colorado police encounter, amended autopsy says

LA Times  

A Black man died after a police encounter in a Denver suburb in 2019 because he was injected with a powerful sedative after being forcibly restrained, according to an amended autopsy report released Friday. But a state grand jury last year indicted three officers and two paramedics on manslaughter and reckless homicide charges in McClain’s death after the case drew …

Elijah McClain died due to sedative, police restraint: Autopsy
2 years, 6 months ago

Elijah McClain died due to sedative, police restraint: Autopsy

Al Jazeera  

Amended autopsy report echoes conclusion of US grand jury that indicted police and paramedics for McClain’s 2019 death. But a state grand jury last year indicted three officers and two paramedics on manslaughter and reckless homicide charges in McClain’s death after the case drew renewed attention following the killing of George Floyd in 2020. But Adams County District Judge Kyle …

Authorities claimed these Black men had excited delirium just before they died. But the diagnosis itself is a problem and should be abandoned, a new study says
3 years ago

Authorities claimed these Black men had excited delirium just before they died. But the diagnosis itself is a problem and should be abandoned, a new study says

CNN  

CNN — In videos that show George Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis police custody, an officer holding down the Black man’s ankles says, “I just worry about excited delirium or whatever.” Another officer responds: “That’s why we have the ambulance coming.” But Floyd did not meet any of the 10 criteria used by many to diagnose “excited delirium,” a police surgeon …

Police and paramedics face charges over 2019 death of Elijah McClain
3 years, 6 months ago

Police and paramedics face charges over 2019 death of Elijah McClain

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The charges were brought following an eight-month grand …

Police, medics charged for 2019 death of Elijah McClain
3 years, 6 months ago

Police, medics charged for 2019 death of Elijah McClain

Al Jazeera  

McClain died after being injected with a sedative during a police stop in Aurora, Colorado, near Denver. McClain’s pleading words that were captured on police body camera video – “I’m just different” – have been posted on signs at protests and spoken by celebrities who joined those calling for the prosecution of the officers who stopped McClain as he walked …

EXPLAINER: What is excited delirium?
3 years, 11 months ago

EXPLAINER: What is excited delirium?

Associated Press  

MINNEAPOLIS — The attorney for the officer on trial in George Floyd’s death has raised the concept of excited delirium as testimony examines whether reasonable force was used on Floyd. Mackenzie described it as a combination of “psychomotor agitation, psychosis, hypothermia, a wide variety of other things you might see in a person or rather bizarre behavior.” Under questioning from …

Elijah McClain: Sheneen McClain relieved her son ‘is no longer labeled a suspect’ after investigation into officers’ actions
4 years, 1 month ago

Elijah McClain: Sheneen McClain relieved her son ‘is no longer labeled a suspect’ after investigation into officers’ actions

CNN  

CNN — Sheneen McClain cried reading an independent investigative report Monday that said Colorado police officers involved her son’s death did not have the legal basis to stop, frisk or restrain Elijah McClain. “In addition, EMS administered a ketamine dosage based on a grossly inaccurate and inflated estimate of Mr. McClain’s size.” The attorneys for McClain’s mother released a statement …

Colorado city bans ketamine use amid Elijah McClain probe
4 years, 6 months ago

Colorado city bans ketamine use amid Elijah McClain probe

Associated Press  

DENVER — City council members in a Denver suburb have voted to ban the use of a powerful sedative by first responders until officials finish a review of its use in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a Black man put in a stranglehold by officers and injected with the drug, ketamine. The city council members’ decision came after concerns …

Two strangers, with the same first name, and a terrifying story about ketamine in policing
4 years, 6 months ago

Two strangers, with the same first name, and a terrifying story about ketamine in policing

CNN  

CNN — Elijah McKnight admits he was drunk. “I definitely wasn’t experiencing excited delirium, I can tell you that.” A powerful drug Ketamine is often the strongest sedative in a paramedic’s kit in departments that allow its use. An article in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services said the use of ketamine to deal with excited delirium in the field …

Elijah McClain: Activists call for change one year after death
4 years, 7 months ago

Elijah McClain: Activists call for change one year after death

Al Jazeera  

McClain, an unarmed 23-year-old Black man, died after he was put in a police chokehold and injected with ketamine. Like his family and activists who have been protesting over the Black man’s death from the beginning, they want the three officers charged with killing McClain. Governor Jared Polis ordered him to look at the case in June after outrage about …

Ketamine that’s injected during arrests draws new scrutiny
4 years, 7 months ago

Ketamine that’s injected during arrests draws new scrutiny

Associated Press  

DENVER — Police stopped Elijah McClain on the street in suburban Denver last year after deeming the young Black man suspicious. “The vast majority of these scenarios get managed at a much lower level with much less physical restraint, no need for chemical restraint or sedation.” After McClain’s death, Colorado’s health department opened an investigation into the growing use of …

Tasers Implicated in Excited Delirium Deaths
18 years ago

Tasers Implicated in Excited Delirium Deaths

NPR  

Tasers Implicated in Excited Delirium Deaths This is the second of two reports on excited delirium. Police said the forensic report from the Lafayette Parish coroner's office found Enard died as a result of "cocaine-induced excited delirium." Taser International, the company that makes stun guns, says its product helps police deal with people suspected of having excited delirium. In recent …

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