In Adams County Court, the jury returned a hung judgment for the two Aurora police officers accused of killing Elijah McClain. Four years ago, the unarmed Black youth’s killing garnered extensive media coverage both inside and outside of Colorado. This resulted in widespread demonstrations and police department reforms in Aurora.
On Thursday at roughly 4:20 p.m., the decision was made, and the judge announced the results less than 30 minutes later.
Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty of manslaughter or assault, while the jury found Randy Roedema guilty of criminally negligent murder and third-degree assault. On January 5 at 1:30 p.m., Roedema will be sentenced in Adams County Court.
First responders received a complaint about a strange person wandering along the street, and the 23-year-old died as a result. On August 24, 2019, when they got to Colfax Avenue and Billings Street, they discovered McClain carrying groceries and wearing a mask. A grand jury accused Jason Rosenblatt, Randy Roedema, and another cop of detaining McClain against his will during a violent battle that was documented on body camera footage. They are accused of second-degree assault, manslaughter, and criminally negligent homicide, all felonies. However, the jury had the option of convicting them on lesser charges, which they did in Roedema’s case when they found him guilty of third-degree assault.
After the verdict was announced, Karen Morfitt of CBS News Colorado spoke with McClain’s mother. Sheneen McClain was obviously unhappy and exclaimed, “That’s what occurs in divided States of America,” as she walked to the parking lot in front of the Adams County Courthouse.
Rosenblatt no longer serves as a police officer for Aurora. Roedema and Nathan Woodyard, the third responding officer, have both been placed on administrative leave from the police department.
“Elijah McClain was important, which is why we are here today. He had his entire life ahead of him and was only 23 years old when he passed away. Over the past few years, his mother Sheneen McClain has had to repeatedly relive that evening. She has greatly encouraged me and the other members of our team. Attorney General Phil Weiser of Colorado praised the woman’s “dedication and commitment to her son and to justice.” She has made it her mission to ensure that Elijah McClain’s life and death are never forgotten. I give Sheneen credit for her perseverance, kindness, devotion to justice, and strength throughout this process. The legacy of Elijah McClain continues to be a blessing.
Paramedics who administered the drug ketamine to McClain just after their encounter with the officers will also stand trial separately, as will Woodyard. After receiving the medication, McClain experienced a heart arrest and was subsequently pronounced brain dead. A few days later, he passed away.
According to a coroner’s report published in 2021, the injection of the potent sedative was the cause of McClain’s demise. However, the coroner also stated that he couldn’t rule out the likelihood that the carotid hold the officers placed McClain in contributed to his demise. The hold is made to prevent blood from reaching the brain.
Prosecutors claimed that while McClain wrestled with Rosenblatt and Roedema, they disregarded his cries that he was unable to breathe. They claimed that by failing to de-escalate the situation, the cops used excessive force and went against departmental protocol. They claimed that by doing those things, McClain increased his risk of passing away from the ketamine dose he was given.
The paramedics’ administration of a medicine that caused McClain to lose consciousness, according to defense attorneys, is the only reason for McClain’s death. They said that what the officers did was in line with departmental training and policy. When they ordered McClain to stop at a location that was regarded as having a high crime rate, they claimed it took a number of efforts for him to comply.
Throughout the trial, the body-worn camera recordings of the interaction with McClain were repeatedly shown in the courtroom.
“Stop immediately. One of the policemen can be heard saying, “Stop. Stop,” in one of the videos. McClain, who was returning home from a convenience shop, can be heard saying, “I have a right to go wherever I am going.” “Stop. Stop,” the cop yelled back. You are acting suspiciously, thus I have the right to stop you. On the video, McClain can be heard complaining about his breathing after the neck hold was applied.
In the trial, neither of the cops testified on their own behalf, and the defense did not bring any of its own witnesses.
Trials for the other emergency personnel are slated to begin at the end of this week for Woodyard and at the beginning of next month for paramedics Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper.
All of the cases are being prosecuted by attorneys from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. In the months following McClain’s passing, the district attorney for Adams County chose not to bring charges against the police, in part because the initial coroner’s report was unable to pinpoint the precise reason or causes of McClain’s demise. In 2021, a new report was made public.
Prosecutors claimed in closing arguments that the officers broke numerous police rules and that McClain had trouble breathing before ketamine was given to him. The officers’ defense lawyers contended that the state provided scant proof that either officer’s actions contributed to McClain’s demise and that they acted in accordance with their training by summoning paramedics almost away after applying the choking hold.
Duane Lyons, the prosecuting attorney, stated that “no reasonable police officer would believe that this was proper for someone who was in handcuffs.”
“You would think if they believe there’s some kind of criminal investigation here against Randy Roedema, that they might obtain at least one live witness,” stated a lawyer for his defense.
We anticipated that this prosecution would be challenging. Nevertheless, it was crucial that a jury hear the evidence, consider all the circumstances, and render a decision in this highly important case, according to Weiser. “I am incredibly proud of the staff who worked with me, of their diligence, their sincerity of intent, and the way they gave this prosecution everything they had. In order to hold the performers accountable for Elijah McClain’s death, they assembled the strongest cast they could.