2 paramedics found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in connection with Elijah McClain’s death

Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper were accused of administering an excessive amount of ketamine to sedate McClain after an encounter with police on August 24, 2019.

Cichuniec was also found guilty of assault in the second degree unlawful administration of drugs.

They were both acquitted of assault in the second degree with intent to cause bodily injury causing serious bodily injury.

Cooper was found not guilty of assault in the second degree unlawful administration of drugs.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said he was satisfied with the verdict and that more accountability was still needed.

“Elijah did nothing wrong that evening, his life mattered, and he should be here today. Accountability does not end with these trials,” Weiser said in a statement.

“Too many times, we have seen people die when officers unnecessarily escalate situations that don’t call for the use of force. We must continue our work to improve policing and emergency response and build trust between law enforcement, first responders, and the people they are sworn to protect. We must do all we can to prevent these tragedies,” Weiser added.

Elijah’s mother Sheenen McClain said in a statement Saturday that three convictions out of five “isn’t justice and that the only thing the convictions serve is a very small acknowledgment for accountability in the justice system.”

She added, “There were at least 20 individuals there the night my son was alive and talking before he was brutally murdered. Aurora Colorado Police Department and Fire Department kept everyone else on their payroll because both of those departments lack humanity, refusing to admit their inhuman protocols. My son’s murder case is part of a continuum of hatred that is spread throughout this world.”

Ahead of the verdict being read on Friday, the judge noted that there have been “high emotions” in the case and urged people to use “proper courtroom decorum.”

McClain was confronted by police while walking home from a convenience store after a 911 caller told authorities they had seen someone “sketchy” in the area.

McClain was unarmed and wearing a ski mask at the time. His family says he had anemia, a blood condition that can make people feel cold more easily.

When officers arrived on the scene, they told McClain they had a right to stop him because he was “being suspicious.”