Axios
The Colorado police had no legal basis to stop, search, or use a stranglehold on Elijah McClain
Police in Aurora, Colorado had no legal basis to stop, search, or use a stranglehold on Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old unarmed black man who died in custody in 2019. This emerges from a report by independent investigators released on Monday. Moving the News Forward: The Denver suburbs city council ordered the independent review in June, while protests raged across the country against the police killing of George Floyd and other blacks. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Background: Three police officers responding to a call about a suspicious person stopped and restrained McClain, who was walking home from a supermarket on August 24, 2019. The police put him in a stranglehold and paramedics gave him 500 milligrams of ketamine. McClain suffered cardiac arrest and was eventually pronounced brain dead. He was released from life support on August 30, 2019. An earlier investigation by the police department found that the three officers had not violated any guidelines. What They Found: “The body carried camera audio, limited video and Major Crime’s interviews with the officers tell two conflicting stories,” the review panel said in its report released Monday. “The statements of the officials on site and in subsequent recorded interviews indicate a violent and relentless fight,” the investigators found. But the “limited video and audio from the body-worn cameras show that Mr. McClain is surrounded by officers, all taller than him, screaming in pain, apologizing, explaining and pleading with the officers.” “The tone of the incident records Mr. McClain screaming in pain, apologizing, vomiting, and sounding incoherent at times. His words were apologetic and confused, not angry or threatening.” “He told the officers he has his ID, his name is Elijah McClain and ‘I’m just going home … I’m an introvert and I’m different. Going home … I’m just different. I’m just different That is Everything. That’s all I did. I’m so sorry. ‘”Investigators also found that previous reviews of the officers’ conduct were flawed. “The interviews conducted by Major Crime were neither test nor objective. The officers involved were not asked key questions about their behavior or the justification for their actions. Sometimes questions seemed designed to evoke a certain exculpatory ‘magic language’ from the case law.” The investigators wrote. “In addition, the Major Crime Unit report broadened the record to exonerate the officers rather than presenting a neutral version of the facts.” What They Say: The independent review “makes clear what was already known: Elijah should never have been stopped by the police, never been arrested, never subjected to extreme violence by the police and never should have been forcibly injected with ketamine,” lawyers said from McClain’s family in a statement: “Aurora is responsible for Elijah’s tragic death as a result of the illegal and irresponsible acts of its employees,” added the lawyers. “Sheneen McClain is grateful that this independent investigation has uncovered the wrongdoing of Aurora employees responsible for her son’s death. She continues to urge Aurora to hold his co-workers accountable. “” Elijah did not commit a crime on the day of his death, but those responsible for Elijah’s death certainly did. ” : Subscribe to receive the latest market trends at Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
