In the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old unarmed Black man, a jury in Adams County, Colorado found Randy Roedema guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. The other officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was acquitted.
Prosecutors argued that the officers failed to follow multiple police policies and that McClain struggled to breathe before the administration of ketamine. The officers accused McClain of having “incredible strength” and being “on something”. When two paramedics arrived, they injected him with 500mg of ketamine, a powerful sedative.
McClain vomited multiple times while restrained and lost and regained consciousness. Prosecutors said he complained that he could not breathe six times.
The jury convicted Randy Roedema of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. He had faced a more serious charge of reckless manslaughter, but the jury convicted him of criminally negligent homicide instead, a lower-class felony that carries a lesser sentence.
He’s set to be sentenced on Jan. 5 at 1:30 p.m. “It’s not enough cause Roedema wasn’t alone in what he did to my son he had buddies with badges who are all bullies. This is not a victory for me at all,” said Sheneen McClain.
The same jury found Jason Rosenblatt not guilty of both counts he faced, which were reckless manslaughter and second-degree assault.
“Elijah told me not to worry,” Sheneen McClain said. “Because this is not the final destination. This is just human judgment. It helped that he told me not to worry because they have an eternal judgment that they have yet to see. And no matter how they try to clean their slate. They still have my son’s blood on their hands.”
Opening statements in the trial for Roedema who was suspended and Rosenblatt, a former officer, were on Sept. 20. Jurors began deliberations late Tuesday afternoon after both sides rested on Oct. 6 without the defense calling any witnesses.
McClain, 23, was first contacted on Aug. 24, 2019, after a teenage boy called 911 and relayed that he saw McClain wearing a coat and mask and acting “suspicious.” Less than a minute after police arrived, McClain was taken to the ground and engaged in a struggle with Roedema, Rosenblatt, and a third officer. During that struggle, McClain was placed in a carotid hold, which can cut off the oxygen supply to the brain.
Later that same night, paramedics injected McClain with the sedative ketamine. His heart stopped, and he later died. Following the verdict, Aurora’s interim Police Chief Art Acevedo released the following statement,
“I know many have been waiting a long time for the involved parties to have their day in court. As a nation, we must be committed to the rule of law. As such, we hold the American judicial process in high regard.
We respect the verdict handed down by the jury, and thank the members of the jury for their thoughtful deliberation and service. Due to the additional pending trials, the Aurora Police Department is precluded from further comment at this time.”
“What we will share at this time is our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone impacted by this event. The stress they have suffered over the past four years as they seek healing and closure is unimaginable,” Aurora Fire Rescue’s Chief Alec Oughton said in a statement.
“Additionally, the court has precluded the city and our department from commenting on the facts and circumstances of the incident while these proceedings are pending. We respect the rule of law and the outcomes of the cases.”
“Today, the jury returned a guilty verdict against one of the defendants. I’m deeply grateful for our team’s hard work and dedication on this case. We have two more trials to prosecute, and I know the teams handling those cases will bring their best efforts as well,” Attorney General Phil Weiser said in a statement.
“Today’s verdict is about accountability; everyone is accountable and equal under the law. And hopefully today’s verdict is another step in the healing process for the Aurora community and the state. I recognize that some people may not agree with the verdict, but we all must respect the jury system, which is a pillar of our democratic republic.”
Jury selection begins Friday for the trial of Nathan Woodyard, the first patrol officer to respond to the scene and contact McClain. He’s charged with reckless manslaughter.
Jeremy Cooper and Peter Chichuniec, the paramedics who responded to the call, are set for trial in November. They are each charged with reckless manslaughter and numerous counts of assault.
