Verdict: Officer Involved in Elijah McClain's Arrest Acquitted
Nathan Woodyard, the Aurora police officer involved in the arrest of Elijah McClain, has been acquitted by a jury This case gained attention due to the tragic death of McClain, a young unarmed Black man, who was subdued by police and later injected with ketamine by paramedics in 2019
In a breaking news update at 5:11 p.m. ET, a jury has acquitted Aurora, Colorado, police officer Nathan Woodyard of reckless manslaughter and the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide. The case involved the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old unarmed Black man who died after being restrained by the police and administered ketamine by paramedics in 2019.
[Revised]
In the trial of Nathan Woodyard, an Aurora, Colorado police officer involved in the arrest of Elijah McClain, a jury has delivered a verdict. Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old unarmed Black man, tragically lost his life after being restrained by the police and subsequently administered ketamine by paramedics in 2019.
Woodyard, in connection with McClain's death, has entered a plea of not guilty to charges of reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Pending the outcome of the trial, the officer continues to be suspended from the department without receiving any salary.
A photograph of Elijah McClain is part of the "Say Their Names" memorial on Boston Common in Boston on November 16, 2020.
Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
Elijah McClain's cause of death was determined to be complications resulting from a ketamine injection administered after being restrained, according to an amended autopsy report released by the coroner.
The charges against the involved parties stem from an incident on August 24, 2019, when officers responded to a call reporting a "suspicious person" wearing a ski mask, as stated in the indictment. During the encounter, the officers confronted Elijah McClain, a massage therapist, musician, and animal lover, who was walking home from a convenience store while holding a plastic bag containing iced tea.
During an encounter recorded on a body camera, McClain was forcefully restrained by the police and subjected to a carotid hold. Subsequently, he was administered ketamine, a potent sedative, by paramedics. While being transported to the hospital, McClain suffered a heart attack and was declared deceased after three days. Initially, prosecutors decided not to press charges, but the case received increased scrutiny amidst the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Colorado Governor Jared Polis appointed a special prosecutor to reexamine the incident, resulting in the indictment of Woodyard, two other officers, and two paramedics for their involvement in McClain's death in 2021.
