One of the two first responders responsible for the death of the young African-American Elijah McClain in 2019 was sentenced to 14 months in half-term detention on Friday. McClain died after his arrest when emergency workers injected ketamine to calm him down.
The paramedic will still be allowed to work during the day, but must return to prison in the evenings and on weekends during his sentence, a Colorado court ruled. In addition, he was given a four-year suspended prison sentence. Paramedic Jeremy Cooper and his colleague were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in December.
Elijah McClain was put in a chokehold during his arrest in the city of Aurora and was subsequently injected with the strong sedative. The 23-year-old died three days later of a heart attack. The case only gained media attention after the death of George Floyd, another young American with black skin, in May 2020.
READ ALSO. White police officer in US sentenced to 14 months in prison for death of African-American young man
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Paramedic Jeremy Cooper and his colleague were found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in December. — © AP
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During the trial, the first responders stated that they were only following procedures when they administered the ketamine. The public prosecutor’s office refuted this and accused them of not having talked to the victim and that they had not checked his heart rate and breathing before administration.
In January, one of the three police officers involved was sentenced to 14 months in prison. At another trial, the two others were acquitted.
McClain was stopped by police on the street after an anonymous caller said he looked “mysterious” – he was wearing ski goggles. According to the victim’s family, he was outside to buy an ice tea. According to them, he often wore a ski buttock to avoid getting cold, as he suffered from anemia.
The use of ketamine in arrests is controversial in the US. Investigations have already been launched in several states.
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