Bossip
Video
Source:
Andy
Cross/MediaNews
Group/The
Denver
Post
via
Getty
Images
/
Getty
Elijah
McClain
would
be
alive
today
if
it
were
not
for
the
actions
of
several
police
officers
and
a
pair
of
paramedics.
BOSSIP
has
previously
reported
on
the
conviction
of
former
Aurora,
Colorado
police
officer
Randy
Roedema
for
negligent
homicide
and
3rd-degree
assault
in
addition
to
the
acquittal
of
police
officer
Nathan
Woodyard
for
homicide
and
manslaughter.
While
Woodyard
was
able
to
escape
accountability
for
his
actions,
we
anxiously
awaited
the
jury’s
decision
about
the
paramedics
who
unnecessarily
injected
McClain
with
ketamine
to
tranquilize
him
during
his
interaction
with
police.
According
to
a
report
in
The
Guardian,
that
wait
is
over.
Source:
Andy
Cross/MediaNews
Group/The
Denver
Post
via
Getty
Images
/
Getty
EMTs
Peter
Cichuniec
and
Jeremy
Cooper
were
both
convicted
of
criminally
negligent
homicide
in
a
rare
case
where
medical
personnel
are
held
responsible
for
the
death
of
a
civilian
in
police
custody.
It
should
also
be
noted
that
Cichuniec
was
also
found
guilty
of
second-degree
assault
while
Cooper
was
acquitted
of
his
assault
charge.
During
the
trial,
lawyers
for
the
police
argued
that
McClain’s
death
was
a
result
of
the
dangerous
levels
of
ketamine
administered
by
the
two
EMTs.
Cooper
and
Cichuniec’s
lawyers
argued
that
the
police
were
responsible
for
the
23-year-old’s
passing.
Cichuniec
ordered
ketamine
from
the
ambulance,
and
Cooper
injected
McClain
as
officers
restrained
him.
Cooper
said
he
estimated
McClain’s
weight
to
be
roughly
200lbs
and
administered
500mg
of
ketamine,
about
50mg
over
the
recommended
dose
for
that
weight.
But
Cooper’s
estimation
of
McClain’s
size
was
also
dramatically
wrong
–
he
weighed
around
143lbs,
at
which
325mg
would
have
been
the
appropriate
dose.
Source:
Hyoung
Chang/MediaNews
Group/The
Denver
Post
via
Getty
Images
/
Getty
Ultimately,
we’re
just
glad
that
those
involved
were
punished
for
their
dirty
deeds.
However,
they
aren’t
the
only
ones
being
called
into
account
for
McClain’s
death.
According
to
CBSNews,
Aurora
city
council
member
Curtis
Gardner
is
demanding
that
the
city’s
medical
director
vacate
his
post
for
malpractice.
“These
firefighters
followed
protocols
they
were
given
by
the
medical
director
and
they
were
just
found
guilty
of
criminally
negligent
homicide,”
said
Gardner.
“I
would
like
to
see
those
protocols
updated
and
I
would
like
to
see
a
new
medical
director
in
the
city
of
Aurora,”
he
said.
Rest
in
peace,
Elijah
McClain.
We
hope
that
these
verdicts
can
help
bring
a
modicum
of
peace
to
your
grieving
family.
