Officer Charged in the Death of Elijah McClain Found Not Guilty

Facts

• A jury Monday found Nathan Woodyard, a white Aurora, Colorado police officer not guilty on all counts in the death of Elijah McClain, an unarmed Black man.¹
• In August 2019, Woodyard stopped McClain on his walk home from a convenience store after an observer called 911 to report a suspicious person described as wearing a ski mask but with no weapon.²
• Bodycam footage from Woodyard, the first officer to arrive, showed footage of McClain being tackled to the ground and placed in a chokehold. Paramedics injected McClain with ketamine, a sedative, which caused him to enter cardiac arrest; he died three days later.³
• Two other officers and two paramedics were charged as a result of McClain’s death. In early November, a jury found Officer Randy Roedema guilty of one charge of criminally negligent homicide and one charge of third-degree assault; Officer Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty of all charges and the paramedics will face trial later in November.⁴
• Sheneen McClain, Elijah’s mother, exited the courthouse following the verdict with her fist in the air. She was accompanied by a supporter who expressed disbelief and distrust in the system they believed would administer justice for Elijah’s death.⁵
• In response to the verdict, the Aurora Police Department tweeted: 'I know many have been waiting a long time for the involved party to have his day in court. As a nation, we must be committed to the rule of law. As such, we hold the American judicial process in high regard.'⁶

Sources: ¹The denver post, ²Abc news, ³CNN, ⁴Reuters, ⁵Associated Press and ⁶CBS.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Colorado public radio. With this verdict, McClain and his family were dealt a grave injustice. While lawmakers are a critical piece for supporting equal justice in law enforcement, no law will stop the dehumanization of Black men who are at risk of being killed by a cop for simply walking on the street. The verdict in this case demonstrates we have a malfunctioning justice system.
• Narrative B, as provided by Colorado public radio. Due process was carried out in this tragic case. The jury believed Woordward's testimony about his application of the carotid hold that was used. That hold is now banned under Colorado law but was not at the time an accepted use of force. This horrific incident has nonetheless translated into important police reforms.
• Narrative C, as provided by Kusa.com. The Colorado Attorney General knew it would be difficult to bring accountability to the officers responsible for this tragedy. Even so, the not-guilty verdict is not the end of the story. The Attorney General will relentlessly pursue justice for Elijah and prepare for the upcoming trial of the paramedics who had a hand in his death.