Elijah McClain’s Family Sues City Of Aurora & Officers For Wrongful Death
The family of Elijah McClain is suing the city of Aurora and 13 police officers for his 2019 death.
Per TMZ, McClain’s parents filed the lawsuit in Colorado adding that the city, the officers, a paramedic, and a doctor should be held accountable for the August 2019 death and the “needless use of excessive force and torture.”
According to court documents, Elijah was listening to music on his walk home “when Aurora police officers grabbed, tackled, and assaulted him.”
Despite his condition the cops “continued to brutalize Elijah for nearly eighteen minutes—approximately fifteen minutes of which he was handcuffed.” They also say that the cops used excessive forces on Elijah by “compressing his neck and the blood flow to his brain with two consecutive carotid holds, cranking his left shoulder with an armbar hammerlock that caused it to repeatedly pop.”
As we previously reported, McClain was walking home from a convenience store after purchasing some tea when he was stopped by Aurora Police. His family explained that the 23-year-old massage therapist was wearing a ski mask at the time because he was anemic and it helped to keep him warm.
While trying to stop his music so he could hear what they were telling him, bodycam footage showed one officer threatening that if McCain keeps “messing around” he would “bring the dog out and he’s going to bite you.” One Officer then placed him in a chokehold to restrain him. He then fell ill after and had vomited by the time paramedics arrived to administer the ketamine. When the EMT “involuntarily injected him with a massive dose of ketamine” he stopped breathing and died a few days later.
Governor. Jared Polis announced that the case would be reopened with a special prosecutor. Three of the officers have since been fired.