US: Colorado cop found guilty in Black man Elijah McClain's death case

One Colorado police officer was convicted while another was acquitted in the 2019 death of 23-year-old unarmed Black man Elijah McClain, that sparked widespread outrage and months of protests in and beyond the United States.

A Colorado juryconvicted Colorado police officer, Randy Roedema from the Aurora Police Department (APD), of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault.

Another officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was acquitted of manslaughter and assault charges.

What does it mean?

Such convictions are notably rare in the United States.

But the current conviction has come after four years of relentless efforts by McClain's family and advocates for racial justice, who pushed for accountability and systemic reforms to prevent crimes committed by the State under the circumstances related to racial prejudices.

What had happened?

On the evening of August 24, 2019, McClain was on his way home from a convenience store, listening to music on headphones, when a passing driver called 911, and described him as "suspicious" person.

The caller noted McClain's actions, including waving his arms and wearing a ski mask, which his mother later explained was to stay warm due to his anemia. The caller explicitly stated there were no weapons and no danger to anyone.

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Body-camera footage showed McClain's confrontation with police,who repeatedly expressed his desire to go home and his introverted nature.

McClain was restrained by police, with the now convicted police officer Roedema claiming McClain reached for Rosenblatt's gun, even though Rosenblatt denied feeling any contact with his weapon.

The officers placed McClain in a neck hold, as the 23-year-old screamed"I can't breathe" multiple times.

McClainvomited several times while being held down, losing and regaining consciousness.

When theparamedics arrived on the scene, they reportedly injected him with an excessive amount of ketamine, a potent sedative.

McClain then went into cardiac arrest and never regained consciousness.

In November 2019, the local prosecutor had declined to bring charges.

It was only after the nationwide outcry following George Floyd's murder in May 2020 that the case was reopened.

An independent investigation concluded that there was no valid reason for the police to restrain McClain, and an amended autopsy determined that he died from "complications of ketamine administration following forcible restraint."

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