How did Elijah McClain die? Colorado jury finds two paramedics guilty who injected the 23-year-old with ketamine

Two paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, have been found guilty in the death of Elijah McClain that took place in Aurora in 2019. The Colorado jury found both paramedics guilty of criminally negligent homicide, as they allegedly administered a higher dosage of ketamine.

On August 24, 2019, McClain, 23, was returning home from a convenience shop when police confronted him. On his way back, McClain was approached by police officers responding to a 911 call, which described the victim as "suspicious" since he was wearing a ski mask and walking the streets. Within seconds, cops had Elijah McClain detained and put him in a carotid chokehold.

The Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics, Cooper and Cichuniec, then came into the scene and injected Elijah McClain with a deadly dose of ketamine, causing a cardiac arrest. A couple of days after the incident, McClain tragically passed away. The two paramedics are now declared guilty on charges of assault in the second degree through the unlawful administration of drugs.

During the hearings, the prosecutors claimed that the paramedics acted “recklessly,” and they injected a powerful sedative even before checking the 23-year-old's vitals and overall health. The verdict of the jury came after an autopsy report also declared that Elijah McClain passed away due to “complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint.”

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Paramedics injected 500 milligrams of ketamine into Elijah McClain

During the hearings, the Aurora Fire Rescue Department claimed that their protocols stated that the high dose given to Elijah was meant to be given to a person who is roughly 80 pounds heavier than McClain. Moreover, experts present in the court also testified that the dosage given to the deceased was a “fatal dose.” The prosecutor, Shannon Stevenson, talked about the negligence and said:

"You can learn so much from listening to a patient breathe from feeling their pulse, from touching their skin. The defendants didn't do a single one of these things. If you're on a protocol and the condition of your patient changes, then you change what you're doing.

Stevenson continued,

"You're not a robot. These are trained professionals with judgment to exercise. And of course, you don't sedate somebody who is barely moving."

While the two paramedics have been found guilty, one of them, Peter Cichuniec, stated that this was what they were taught during their training, as he told the court:

“During our training, we were told numerous times that this is a safe, effective drug. That is the only drug we can carry that can stop what is going on and calm him down so we can control his airway, we can control him and the safety of him, get him to the hospital as quick as we can."

Apart from the two paramedics, three more Aurora police officers who forcefully restrained Elijah also faced trial for their involvement in the case.

As a result, Officer Randy Roedema was found guilty on the charges of negligent homicide and assault. However, Jason Rosenblatt and Nathan Woodyard were acquitted of all charges.