ELIJAH McClain’s mother Sheenen has called for the cops who were responsible for her son’s death to be “held accountable.” She claims she feels hopeless despite Colorado Governor Jared Polis reopening the case for investigation. Her son died on August 27, 2019 after he was put in a chokehold by authorities and injected with ketamine […]
ELIJAH McClain’s mother Sheenen has called for the cops who were responsible for her son’s death to be “held accountable.”
She claims she feels hopeless despite Colorado Governor Jared Polis reopening the case for investigation.
Her son died on August 27, 2019 after he was put in a chokehold by authorities and injected with ketamine by paramedics days prior.
Elijah McClain was a young black man who grew up in Aurora, Colorado.
He was put in a chokehold by authorities and suffered a heart attack as a result of the encounter last year.
His death was similar to that of George Floyd, who prosecutors say was suffocated by a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.
McClain was walking home from a local convenience store on August 23, 2019, after picking up some iced tea.
According to McClain’s family, the 23-year-old was anemic and preferred to wear a ski mask to keep his face warm while he was walking.
The Aurora Police Department received a call from a civilian about a “suspicious man” walking around.
911 dispatched police officers who placed McClain in a chokehold upon their arrival to the scene.
When paramedics arrived, they reportedly administered a dose of ketamine to “sedate” McClain and calm his anxiety.
The drug caused the young man to go into cardiac arrest on his way to the hospital.
He fell into a coma, and three days later, he was pronounced dead.
Twitter users claim Elijah’s last words were: “I’m an introvert. I’m just different that’s all. I’m so sorry. I don’t have a gun. I don’t do that stuff.
“All I was trying to do was become better. I’ll do it…You all are phenomenal.
“You are beautiful. And I love you. Try to forgive me. I’m sorry.”
The officers involved in the incident have reportedly been named as Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema.
They were said to have used “carotid pressure hold,” to restrain McClain, a controversial method “designed to immobilize a suspect by blocking the neck artery and, by extension, the flow of blood to the brain,” according to NBC News.
In November, Adams County prosecutors announced they would not file any criminal charges against the officers who were involved in the detention and arrest of McClain.
“Based on the investigation presented and the applicable Colorado law, there is no reasonable likelihood of success of proving any state crimes beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” District Attorney Dave Young said in his letter to Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz.
“Therefore, no state criminal charges will be filed as a result of this incident.”
On Thursday, however, Governor Jared Polis announced that Elijah’s case will be reexamined.
Polis tweeted: “I am hearing from many Coloradans who have expressed concerns with the investigation of Elijah McClain’s death.
“As a result, I have instructed my legal council to examine what the state can do and we are assessing [the] next steps.”
Elijah McClain’s mom wants the cops held “accountable” as the Colorado Governor reopens a probe into the controversial death of the 23-year-old.
During an interview with TMZ, Sheneen McClain said that she feels “hopeless” despite the investigation into her son’s death being reopened.
“The only thing that would make me feel better as a mom would be for them to have life in prison…they need to lose their jobs,” Sheneen said.
“It needs to be a felony on their record… because of the profession that they’re in.”
The officers involved in McClain’s death were placed on temporary leave last year.
They are currently back in the field with no charges.
At the time of McClain’s death, Denver 7 News stated, “…they couldn’t determine whether McClain’s death was an accident, was due to natural causes, or is a homicide related to the police department’s use of a carotid hold.”
Despite the Governor Polis’s vow to reopen the investigation, McClain’s mother isn’t convinced.
She believes that this is just a way for officials to bide their time to “get away with murder.”
Sheenen said: “I think it’s just another song and dance that Aurora, Colorado, is doing to cover themselves, the more time goes by they feel people start to forget about it.
“So the less people gonna share his story, the more time they have to get away with murder.”
There is currently a petition circulating on Change.org demanding that the officers involved in Elijah’s death be taken off duty and that the investigation be re-opened.
The petition has currently garnered 3.3million signatures and is calling for 4.5million in total.
