The police officer involved in the death of Elijah McClain, a young African-American man, in 2019 has been sentenced to 14 months of full-term detention. McClain died after being injected with ketamine during his arrest to calm him down. However, a paramedic who was also involved in the incident has been given a more lenient sentence – he will be allowed to work during the day but must return to prison in the evenings and on weekends for four years.
The paramedic, Jeremy Cooper, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter along with his colleague. Elijah McClain was put in a chokehold during his arrest in Aurora and was injected with the sedative ketamine. He died three days later of a heart attack. The case gained media attention after the death of George Floyd in May 2020, and during the trial, it was revealed that the first responders did not properly assess McClain’s condition before administering the ketamine.
While two other officers involved in the incident were acquitted, they have faced criticism for their actions and have been called upon to change their procedures for handling such situations. The use of ketamine in arrests is controversial in the US and investigations have been launched in multiple states to address these concerns. Elijah McClain’s family has called for justice and accountability for those responsible for his death.