On Thursday, October 12, in Aurora, Colorado, former police officer Randy Roedema was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault over the 2019 death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain. Meanwhile, another officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was acquitted of all charges tied to the incident.
Roedema was among five individuals indicted after McClain’s death. The incident occurred when police responded to a 911 call reporting a suspicious person, which resulted in McClain being stopped while walking home. During the encounter, Officer Nathan Woodyard allegedly used a chokehold on McClain, causing him to briefly lose consciousness.
Paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec then arrived and used ketamine to sedate McClain. The dosage, suitable for an individual weighing over 200 pounds, was excessive for McClain, who weighed under 150 pounds. This led to McClain suffering a cardiac arrest and dying days later.
The trial highlighted that the officers and paramedics involved did not take necessary precautions to ensure McClain’s safety. The prosecution emphasized that the officers did not de-escalate the situation and did not follow established arrest and safety protocols. The defense argued that McClain had been told to stop resisting and that the fatal outcome was due to the excessive ketamine dose.
This trial is just the beginning, as more individuals await their day in court. Officer Nathan Woodyard’s trial is set to begin in October, followed by the paramedics facing their jury in late November. All three have entered not-guilty pleas.
The events surrounding Elijah McClain’s death have ignited debates on police protocols, the duties of first responders, and the need for systemic reform.