Colorado Court Reverses 2 Paramedics' Homicide Convictions in Elijah McClain Death
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jun 4
Colorado Court Reverses 2 Paramedics' Homicide Convictions in Elijah McClain Death
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jun 4
Summary
Two Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics won new trials after a Colorado appeals court threw out their criminally negligent homicide convictions in Elijah McClain’s 2019 ketamine overdose death.
The court said jurors received faulty instructions on the homicide counts, but it left intact Peter Cichuniec’s second-degree assault conviction.
A 2023 jury had convicted Jeremy Cooper and Cichuniec after finding they gave McClain an excessive ketamine dose after police pinned down the 23-year-old during a stop over a suspicious-person call.
Cooper had received 14 months in jail with work release and probation, while Cichuniec got five years in prison before a judge cut that sentence in 2024 to four years of probation.
McClain’s death, in which he told responders “I can’t breathe,” became a high-profile police accountability case that drew national attention before George Floyd’s murder a year later.
With a new legal standard for paramedics, is accountability for deaths in police custody now out of reach?
When police demand a sedative, is a paramedic treating a patient or enabling law enforcement?
Colorado Appeals Court Orders New Trials for Paramedics in Elijah McClain Case, Setting Legal Precedent on Professional Standards
Overview
The Colorado Court of Appeals overturned the criminally negligent homicide convictions of two Aurora paramedics in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, ordering new trials because the jury was not given the correct professional standard to judge their actions. This decision follows years of public outcry and renewed attention to McClain’s case amid national protests over police brutality. In response to the tragedy, Aurora reached a $15 million settlement with McClain’s family and agreed to major reforms in its police and fire departments, highlighting ongoing efforts to improve accountability and public safety practices.