Colorado court orders retrial for paramedics in Elijah McClain case

June 4 (Reuters) - An appeals ‌court in ​the ​U.S. state of Colorado on Thursday ordered a retrial of two paramedics convicted over the ‌death of Elijah McClain, a young Black man who ⁠was pinned down by police and injected with a powerful sedative.

McClain, ‌a 23-year-old massage therapist, ‌was stopped by officers in Aurora, a Denver suburb, in 2019 after a report of suspicious behavior. Officers ​placed him in a neck hold, and paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec injected him with an excessive ⁠dose of ketamine. He later died.

The case inspired police reforms in Colorado, including ​a ban on chokeholds.

Cooper and Cichuniec were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in 2023. The ​Colorado Court of Appeals reversed ‌those convictions on Thursday, citing errors in the jury instructions, but upheld Cichuniec's separate conviction ⁠for second-degree felony assault.

Cooper was sentenced in 2024 to 14 months in a work-release program, and four years of probation.

Cichuniec was released early ⁠from prison in 2024 after a judge reduced his sentence to ​four years of probation.

Attorneys representing McClain's mother and the two paramedics did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A jury came to ‌a split verdict for three officers in the case.

Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally ‌negligent homicide while Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty ⁠on manslaughter and assault ‌charges.

Another police officer, Nathan ​Woodyard, was found not guilty of manslaughter.

(Reporting by Andrew Hay in New Mexico; Editing by Sanjeev ‌Miglani)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• DIW raises German economic growth forecasts as exports beat expectations
• CD Projekt H1 profit jumps 37%, beats estimates
• Chevron, Eni commit to expand oil projects in Venezuela under US eye