Two Denver-area paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain.
According to Reuters, the incident, which involved the injection of an overdose of ketamine after police restrained McClain, was the first trial among recent criminal prosecutions targeting medical first responders.
This conviction may have ramifications for future cases, establishing a precedent for emergency personnel accountability.
Background and setting
In 2019, Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was walking home when he was stopped by law enforcement.
Following George Floyd’s death in 2020, the case gained prominence. Notably, it was the third and final trial in connection with McClain’s death, with an Aurora police officer convicted of homicide and third-degree assault and two officers acquitted in previous proceedings.
The decision of the jury to convict the paramedics could set a precedent for how emergency personnel respond to situations involving people in police custody. Legal experts, including criminologist Alex Piquero, believe that such convictions may cause paramedics to be hesitant to intervene for fear of legal repercussions.
Prosecutors claimed Cooper and Cichuniec failed to perform basic medical checks, administered an excessive dose of ketamine, and neglected proper post-injection monitoring. The defense claimed that the paramedics followed training protocols when they diagnosed McClain with “excited delirium,” a contentious condition used to justify the use of force.
The results of this trial may influence the decision-making processes of emergency responders, potentially shaping policies regarding the administration of sedatives such as ketamine. According to experts, the verdict may cause paramedics to be more cautious when providing medical assistance in dangerous situations.