The social-ecological model, a fundamental public health framework, categorically describes the implications of an individuals societal environment, interpersonal relationships and community setting, and personal characteristics on health-behavior decision making. Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist and skilled violist, died following an encounter with police in August 2019 while he was walking home from a convenience store. The police killed more than 1,000 people in the United States in 2019, 23% of whom were Black. The male would not stop walking down the street from the officer. The Aurora Police Department told the Colorado Sentinel that all three officers perform their normal duties in thenortheast corner of the city.The coroner has yet to release an official cause of death in McClains murder, and now his family is planning to file a civil rights lawsuit. The Aurora Police Association has not yet responded to ABC News' request for comment. It means Elijah McClain was given ketamine in the police encounter that killed him because its use in that context is explicitly permitted in his state and its abuse is nearly impossible to. After a struggle Mr. McClain was transported to a local area hospital. Like too many other names to mention, he was Black and unarmed. McClain was wearing a ski mask and listening to music, and did not immediately yield to officers. According to McClains family, the 23-year-old had made a quick trip to the convenience store to pick up an iced tea for his brother. McClain, a massage therapist, musician, and animal lover, was walking home from a convenience store with an iced tea when he was confronted by three Aurora Police officers responding to a call. The police killing of Elijah McClain in Aurora, Colorado, did not attract much national attention when it happened this past August. On August 24, 2019, an Aurora citizen reported to police that McClain was wearing a ski mask and looked "sketchy," although the caller also indicated . His sister later told a local ABC affiliate, Denver7, that McClain was wearing an open-face ski mask because he "had anemia and would sometimes get cold." And although he was unarmed, simply walking home, and, his sister said, listening to music, police claimed that "a struggle ensued." HE DESERVED BETTER. In the video, McClain can be heard pleading with police to not be so violent with him. Terms of Service apply. Then, on Tuesday, July 28, CBS Denver reported that the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment would reopen its probe into how a paramedic came to inject McClain with 500 milligrams of ketamine during his violent arrest, and its connection to his subsequent death. New legal actions continue to arrive at Alec Baldwins door. The suit lists members of the police department, including the officers involved in McClains death and those involved in the photo incident, and Aurora Fire Rescue, as defendants. She was also invited to help with a police reform bill in the works at the state capitol. when he was approached by officers who responded to a call from someone who reported seeing him walking while wearing a ski mask. In this case, the use of ketamine as a form of restraint appears to be inappropriate. The investigators note that racial biases may have influenced authorities perceptions of McClain as being much bigger than he actually was. Roedema and Rosenblatt also face one count each of second-degree assault with intent to cause bodily injury and committing a crime of violence. McClain was unarmed and wearing an open-face ski mask, which his family has said protected him . Oops! The officers were responding to a 911 call about a sketchy person wearing a ski mask and waving his arms. The five defendants were indicted in McClains death in August 2021 on several charges, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, according to officials. Police body camera video released later. McClain, a massage therapist, was wearing a ski mask and typically did so because of a blood condition that made him feel cold, his family has said. However, one comment heard in the body camera footage suggests the dose may have been 500 milligrams. Executive Order: https://t.co/efmVp0mhGS Statement below: pic.twitter.com/M5q14GoHPE. Brittney Griner Made Everyone Emotional at the NAACP Awards. Elijah McClain. On February 22, the independent investigators released the results of their months-long inquest that had combed body-cam footage, videotaped interviews with the responding officers and their follow-up reports, notes from the scene, the 911 call and the dispatch record, the autopsy report, medical records, and more. The indictment accuses the paramedics of failing to follow medical protocols before and after they injected Mr. McClain with ketamine. In the footage, an officer can be heard admitting McClain had done nothing illegal prior to his arrest; another accuses McClain of reaching for one of their guns. McClains family says he often wore a ski mask because he has anemia, a blood condition that made him get cold easily. Elijah McClain, 23, was choked and sedated in a 2019 encounter with Colorado police officers. Meanwhile, when police do recommend ketamine, our old friend qualified immunity often ensures they escape legal consequence. Like Philando Castile, he attempted to assert his rights, telling officers (per their account), "I have a right to go where I am going." The ketamine dose McClain received is not stated in the autopsy report, which notes instead that his blood ketamine concentration was at a normal therapeutic level, well below levels seen in ketamine overdose deaths. Body-cam footage of the arrest does exist, although the ADP did not release it to the public until late November 2019, months after McClains death. In addition, the petition calls for a new, in-depth investigation into McClains death. According to Mari Newman, a lawyer for the McClain family, the officers almost immediately used aggressive force, and slammed McClain up against a wall. The body camera footage does not show this, officers said, because their cameras had fallen off into the grass. This is permitted because Aurora has one of the "90 fire departments and emergency medical service agencies across Colorado [with] waivers from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to use ketamine to treat excited delirium," the Denver Post reports. It is unclear if the officers action contributed as well., As Mari Newman, an attorney for McClains family, said at the time, though, Whatever the report says, its clear that if the police had not attacked Elijah McClain, he would be alive today., The APD placed Woodyard, Rosenblatt, and Roedema on paid administrative leave in the incidents immediate aftermath. And I dont use the word torture lightly. "That was awesome," Sheneen said. In August 2019, police officers in Aurora, Colorado, approached 23-year-old Elijah McClain as he walked home from a convenience store. Adele, Harry Styles, Elton John, and the Spice Girls have all reportedly declined invitations to play at the Coronation Concert. CBS / Mari Newman Elijah McClain died after police. It sends conflicting messages to the public about what is really necessary and can contribute to internal uncertainty on what to do or who to believe, Dr. Casola says. In September 2021, a grand jury indicted the three officers involved in Mr. McClains death, as well as two paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, with the Aurora Fire Department. Police then approached him. We need to bring the message to the public in a way that will meet them where they are., A connection or series of connections linking two or more things, bringing ideas to life. Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the three officers involved in McClains murder were transferred to the Denver Police Department. McClain was walking home from a grocery store on the evening of Aug. 24, 2019, when he was stopped by three Aurora police officers. McClain was stopped by police for wearing a ski mask that he . The Aurora Police Department declined to comment on the decision. His family said McClain wore the mask because he had anemia that caused him to get cold easily. Two years after his death, a Colorado grand jury indicted three police officers and two paramedics on charges including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Black people, men especially, have spoken out about the dangers of wearing any mask as a Black person because it puts them at risk of being labelled "suspicious," increasing the likelihood of a deadly confrontation with police. He was wearing a ski mask at the time, his family told the affiliate, because. At the time, McClain, a massage therapist, was wearing a ski mask, according to the indictment. Early on, COVID-19 hadnt had the same impact on more rural parts of the country as it had on urban communities, Dr. Casola says. The officers put him in a chokehold and pinned him to the ground using a carotid hold --. "Of note, in terms of a fatality," the report says, "the dosage administered or ingested is not as important as the resultant concentration of the drug in the blood." A Change.org petitionfor#JusticeforElijahMcClain has amassed more than 2 million signatures, demanding the police officers involved in his murder are removed from the force. The woman given ketamine had requested an asthma pump after police sprayed her with mace. "He was wearing a ski mask and listening to music on the kind of headphones that fit snugly inside the ear." McClain's family has said he sometimes wore a face mask because he felt cold due to anemia. In June 2020, Colorado Gov. Much of the story of McClain's death is horribly familiar: Like Trayvon Martin, he was walking home from a convenience store with an iced tea. Here is one question the Polis administration should give particular scrutiny: Why was McClain given ketamine, a strong tranquilizer often described as a date rape drug, during his deadly encounter with the cops? *Sorry, there was a problem signing you up. According to Elijah's family and the petition, Elijah was simply walking home from a convenience store after buying three iced teas (sound familiar?) McClain worked as a massage therapist, and taught himself to play both the guitar and the violin. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google, This password will be used to sign into all, who has been covering gender, politics, and culture since 2018, How to Support the Struggle Against Police Brutality, What We Know About the Killing of Elijah McClain, 39 Pairs of Sneakers to Upgrade Your Wardrobe, Im On the Hunt for the Best Sunscreens Without a White Cast, Nobody Wants to Perform at King Charless Big Party. Allison R. Casola. Would love your thoughts, please comment. Most likely the decedents physical exertion contributed to death. A 911 caller had reported a man who seemed "sketchy." . after a 911 caller had reported a man wearing a ski mask and . He died a few days later. You can follow her on Twitter @ryfabian. Lawyers representing the three officers and two paramedics asked Adams County District Court Judge Priscilla Loew to review the cases, arguing that there was not enough evidence to support the charges against their clients, according to court documents. Newman said McClain was given a high dose of ketamine, which may have also contributed to his death. After the initial decision not to charge the officers, Mr. McClains mother pushed lawmakers to adopt police reforms. "Courts only consider [breaking qualified immunity] if there's been another case, in their jurisdiction, where someone was sued for very similar conduct, and that conduct was found unconstitutional," Craven said. University textiles and design experts jump into action to help protect peers on medical side. As Dr. Casola and her colleagues note in the study, with 11.8% of American households living under the poverty line, it may not be possible to purchase a mask in person or online. The store did not call the police on him, he was just another customer. Those who knew him describe him as gentle: I dont even think he would set a mouse trap if there was a rodent problem, his friend, Eric Behrens, told the Sentinel. Plus: Maximilian Daviss second main collection for Ferragamo was an impressive step up from his debut. The investigation will be a broad look at the Police Departments record of arrests, stops, searches and use of force. McClains family maintains that law enforcements use of excessive force led to Elijahs death, and roughly a year and a half later, a report commissioned by the Aurora City Council suggested that police had lacked the legal grounds to stop and forcefully detain him. said he felt it was crucial to put together a code of rules regarding the use of the carotid pressure ban to ensure its impact. He was visibly bruised and eventually declared brain-dead. McClain's family says he often wore a ski mask because he has anemia, a blood condition that made him get cold easily. Twombly initially appointed attorney Eric Daigle, a former police officer, to lead the review, a decision that prompted pushback from the city council, and ultimately, the termination of Daigles contract. The Denver Nuggets' head coach wore a "Justice For Elijah McClain" T-shirt at a game. A nexus of ideas, The central and most important point or place. This is a decision that needs to be clearly made by EMS Personnel, not MPD Officers. To promote a singular messagewear a maskamong a diverse American population, future resources should consider the social-ecological attributes influencing the intended audience. But while he was detained, Mr. McClain was clearly in distress. This content, Elijah McClain: Aurora police officers will not face criminal charges in mans altercation, death. Officers arrived in the area and contacted a male wearing a ski mask. Mr. McClain went into cardiac arrest on the way to a hospital. This decision had ramifications for the rest of the encounter, the report states, emphasizing the speed with which officers resorted to (what investigators deemed) unnecessary force and questioning the justification for a pat-down search in the first place. The death of McClain, a young Black man whom his family described as "exceedingly gentle," was immediately protested as unnecessary. WBAL NewsRadio 1090/FM 101.5 - A group of police officers and paramedics have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the role they are accused of playing in the death of a 23-year-old Black . Black people, men especially, have spoken out about the dangers of wearing any mask as a Black person because it puts them at risk of being labelled suspicious, increasing the likelihood of a deadly confrontation with police. Still, the thendistrict attorney presiding over the case, Dave Young, declined to charge the officers and paramedics involved in McClains death a decision that stood until Wednesday. Officers had received a 911 call that someone suspicious wearing a ski mask was waving their arms to music. The caller said they didn't believe Elijah was dangerous but a struggle ensued between the aggressive officers and . This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. Rene was named a 2019 AHCJ Comparative Effectiveness Research fellow, a 2020 USC Center for Health Journalism California fellow, and holds a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California and a master's degree in psychology from Antioch University Los Angeles. Video related to elijah mcclain: 5 fast facts you need to know, Suspected Human Scalp With Braids Found at Missouri Campground. Police body camera video shows an officer getting out of his car, approaching McClain on the. Rosenblatt would be let go on July 3, but not for his involvement in McClains death. Thank you for following me as a fellow gay gamer Coloradan. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. A 2018 city report revealed not only that ketamine was used during arrests but that paramedics used it at police request. According to a Ruderman Family Foundation study, up to 50% of those killed by police have a disability or mental illness. An officer said in the body camera footage that officers had put him out with a carotid hold twice, at least once successfully, meaning Mr. McClain had lost consciousness. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. This call resulted in Elijah's death, the petition reads. Visit our corporate site at https://futureplc.comThe Week is a registered trade mark. Future US LLC, 10th floor, 1100 13th Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. Jared Polis appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the case and file charges if "the facts support prosecution.". (Mr. McClain weighed about 140 pounds, the report said.). It is unclear if the officers actions contributed as well.. 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