Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced his office would look into the police-involved death of Elijah McClain after public outcry.
McClain was walking home from a convenience store on the night of Aug. 24, 2019, with four cans of Brisk iced tea when he was approached by Aurora Police officers.
Aurora Police claim McClain did not comply when they asked him to stop walking, saying McClain said, “I have a right to go where I am going,” and continued resisting when they tried to detain him, leading three officers to place him in a “carotid control hold.”
The slightly built McClain struggled with officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema for nearly 15 minutes — repeatedly sobbing and vomiting — before a total of four fire department medics arrived on the scene and sedated him with 500 milligrams of ketamine — one medic told investigators for the 17th Judicial District District Attorney’s Office he gave a dose suitable for what he estimated to be a 220-pound man — and loaded the subdued man into an ambulance.
Change.org user Piper Rundell started a petition to 17th Judicial District District Attorney Dave Young, Mayor Mike Coffman and the Aurora Police Department open a new investigation.
