Paramedics Found Guilty in 2019 Death of Elijah McClain
On Friday, two Colorado paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, were convicted of criminally negligent homicide for administering a fatal dose of a sedative to Elijah McClain in 2019.
Facts
- On Friday, two Colorado paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, were convicted of criminally negligent homicide for administering a fatal dose of a sedative to Elijah McClain in 2019.1
- McClain, a 23-year-old Black man with no criminal record, was stopped by an Aurora police officer while walking home after a 911 call described him as 'sketchy.' After he was placed in a chokehold, Cooper and Cichuniec injected McClain with ketamine.2
- He lost consciousness and died three days later in hospital. The prosecution alleged that the paramedics had failed to perform basic medical checks on McClain before giving him the maximum dose of ketamine.3
- However, according to the defense, Cooper and Cichuniec followed their paramedical training after concluding McClain had 'excited delirium' or extreme agitation. They also claim the prosecution couldn't prove that the cause of McClain's death was ketamine.4
- Prosecutions for paramedics are rare, as they typically have legal immunity. McClain's family spokesperson said it was too early to say if justice has been served,.5
- Cichuniec was separately found guilty on one of two second-degree assault charges, which Cooper was acquitted of. The two could face years at sentencing in the last of three trials against Aurora police and paramedics involved in McClain's death.1
Sources: 1Associated Press, 2The New York Times, 3BBC News, 4FOX News and 5CNN.
Narratives
- Left narrative, as provided by NBC. This verdict sends a strong message to all of those complicit in police brutality. McClain was administered an overdose of ketamine in an encounter that should have never happened in the first place. Instead of rendering aid to the ailing McClain, the paramedics showed callous disregard for the life of an innocent man. This verdict goes to show that no one is above the law.
- Right narrative, as provided by Toronto Star. What happened to McClain is a tragedy, but it was wrong to punish paramedics for making a split-second decision. This unprecedented verdict could have a chilling effect on first responders all over the country and could give paramedics pause when it comes to rendering aid in their line of duty. We can't afford to sacrifice medical discretion in the hunt for accountability in McClain's death.
