What to know about Elijah McClain’s death and the cases against police and paramedics
Associated PressBRIGHTON, Colo. — Prosecutors said Tuesday a Denver-area police officer who put Elijah McClain in a neck hold before he was injected with ketamine by paramedics bears responsibility for the Black man’s 2019 death, following a split verdict by jurors last week in a separate trial against two other officers charged in the case. Assistant Attorney General Ann Joyce said in opening statements in the trial of Aurora Officer Nathan Woodyard that Woodyard violated department policies on force and de-escalation and then abandoned McClain — a 23-year-old massage therapist who had been walking home from a convenience store when police confronted him — by stepping away from the immediate scene. Brauchler, who prosecuted the 2012 Colorado theater shooting, said it appears the jury found there was enough medical evidence to hold Roedema accountable for McClain’s death. Joyce said McClain didn’t try to get a gun, but defense attorney Megan Downing said Woodyard had to react quickly to protect everyone since officers did not have the luxury of hindsight to know whether McClain posed a threat.