A paramedic found guilty in connection with Elijah McClain’s death will not serve any time in prison, as an Adams County judge changed his sentence to probation on Friday.
Peter Cichuniec, who faced charges of second-degree assault and criminally negligent manslaughter related to McClain’s death in 2019, had initially received a five-year prison sentence in March, which was the lowest possible term for his assault charge. On Friday, a representative from the Colorado Attorney General’s Office announced that Adams County District Judge Mark Warner adjusted Cichuniec’s sentence to four years of probation. Based on the judge’s ruling, he has already completed 70 days in prison.
“After considering the evidence, a statewide grand jury indicted Cichuniec, and a jury of his peers found him guilty for his criminal acts that led to the death of Elijah McClain,” said Attorney General Phil Weiser in a statement. “We are disappointed the court reduced his sentence today, but we respect the decision.”
On August 24, 2019, Elijah McClain was approached by three officers from Aurora Police after a 911 call reported a “suspicious” individual wearing a ski mask. Officers Nathan Woodyard, Randy Roedema, and Jason Rosenblatt confronted McClain on the street, which led to a physical altercation. Roedema claimed to have seen McClain attempt to seize Rosenblatt’s firearm, a claim that prosecutors challenged.
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During the confrontation, the officers placed McClain in a neck restraint twice, intending to incapacitate him. Following this, McClain vomited and inhaled some of it, resulting in several medical issues, including low oxygen levels and high acidity in his body. He repeatedly stated, “I can’t breathe,” before Cichuniec authorized the administration of ketamine, which was given by another paramedic, Jeremy Cooper.
Although paramedics managed to revive McClain after his heart stopped, he never regained consciousness and passed away three days later. Various medical professionals attributed his death to the effects of the ketamine.