Elijah McClain in August 2019 has sparked nationwide outrage and demands for justice. The 23-year-old African-American massage therapist was walking home when he was confronted by police officers in Aurora, Colorado. The encounter quickly escalated, resulting in the use of excessive force, a chokehold, and the administration of a powerful sedative. This essay argues that Elijah McClain's cause of death is criminally negligent and highlights the need for accountability within law enforcement.
The 23-year-old Black man was walking home in 2019 when he was confronted by police officers who forcibly restrained him and then the Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics -- Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec -- injected him with ketamine. 
Cooper was acquitted of two assault charges against him. Cichuniec was acquitted of one of the two assault charges. The judge ordered Cichuniec to be remanded into custody after the verdict, and the bond for Cooper was continued.
Cichuniec and Cooper, who were suspended after being charged, were among five first responders who were criminally charged in connection with McClain's death.
McClain and Holmes wept quietly during the verdict and exhaled audibly when Cichuniec was led away in handcuffs. 
CPR she was disgusted that the paramedics’ defense was that they were “following their training.”
“No amount of procedures, practices, protocols or the lack of training for service jobs will ever replace the human heart,” McClain’s mother said in a statement she sent to CPR News ahead of the verdict. “I am sure that if Elijah had been one of their children, family members, friends, or comrades, they would not have been so indifferent to what was happening, like they were with my son.”
Elijah McClain pleaded, ‘please help me,’ they left him there. They overdosed him on ketamine, they left him there again and it killed him. And that’s why they’re guilty.”
Elijah McClain's untimely death serves as a tragic reminder of systemic issues within law enforcement agencies across America. His case highlights not only racial bias but also gross negligence on behalf of those entrusted with protecting citizens' lives. It is imperative that justice be served for Elijah McClain and his grieving family through thorough investigations, accountability, and meaningful reforms to prevent such tragedies from recurring in the future.
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