TL/DR –
Two Denver-area paramedics were found guilty of giving a fatal dose of ketamine to Elijah McClain in 2019. The case, the first of several recent criminal prosecutions against medical first responders to reach trial, may set a precedent for future cases. The verdict could impact how emergency personnel across the country respond to situations with people in police custody, potentially causing first responders to hesitate or reduce their actions for fear of legal consequences.
Denver-area Paramedics Convicted Over Fatal Ketamine Overdose
In Brighton, Colorado, two paramedics from Denver were found guilty on Friday for administering a lethal dose of the sedative ketamine to Elijah McClain in 2019. This jury verdict could potentially impact the procedures followed by first responders nationwide.
The trial, involving the death of the 23-year-old Black man, is the first of several recent criminal prosecutions against medical first responders to reach court. This case could pave the way for future prosecutions.
McClain’s death occurred after officers responded to a suspicious person report. McClain was forcibly restrained and then injected with ketamine. The case received little attention until the 2020 killing of George Floyd sparked nationwide protests.
An Aurora police officer was convicted of homicide earlier this year, while two other officers were acquitted. On Friday, Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide. They could face substantial prison time at sentencing.
The jury also found Cichuniec guilty on one of two second-degree assault charges, leading to immediate custody. Cooper was found not guilty on the assault charges.
McClain’s mother, Sheneen, celebrated the verdict. “We did it! We did it! We did it!” she exclaimed as she left the courthouse.
The impact of the case could potentially alter the procedures followed by emergency personnel responding to people in police custody, predicts University of Miami criminologist Alex Piquero.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who had convened the grand jury that indicted the first responders, expressed satisfaction with the verdict. “We remain confident that bringing these cases forward was the right thing to do for justice for Elijah McClain and for healing in the Aurora community,” he remarked outside court.
Following the convictions, the city of Aurora announced that the two paramedics were fired. The verdict was reached after two days of deliberations.
McClain’s pleas captured on police body camera video, “I’m an introvert and I’m different,” resonated strongly with many across the country. In a statement released prior to the verdict, McClain’s mother expressed her view that everyone present during the police stop of her son demonstrated a lack of humanity.
Defense attorneys argued that the paramedics acted according to their training in administering ketamine to McClain after diagnosing him with a disputed condition known as ” excited delirium“.
The case’s prominence implies potential criminal charges over emergency care will continue to be a concern for paramedics, according to Arizona State University law professor James G. Hodge,
—
Read More US News