AFPEa memorial service for Elijah McClain
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 05:54
Two ambulance nurses in the US state of Colorado have been found guilty by a jury of the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain in August 2019. The two nurses administered an overdose of ketamine to the victim during his arrest. McClain became unconscious and had to be taken to the hospital. He died there after six days.
The victim was walking home from a convenience store when he was stopped by three police officers. They were called after a phone call about a suspicious person in the area. The black man initially ignored police commands to stop, after which officers intervened. During an ensuing struggle between the officers and the victim, McClain was placed in a chokehold.
‘I can not breathe’
Bodycam footage of the incident shows him repeatedly telling officers, “I can’t breathe.” After he was restrained, the two paramedics injected him with ketamine. He never regained consciousness. Ketamine was originally an anesthetic for horses, but is popular as a party drug.
The jury accuses both nurses, Jeremy Cooper (49) and Peter Cichuniec (51), of manslaughter. The pair themselves say that administering the ketamine was justified because McClain was acting aggressive and was in delirium. An autopsy showed that the dose of ketamine they administered was too high.
A judge must determine what the two nurses’ punishment will be. Two officers involved in the arrest were previously found innocent and a third guilty of lesser offenses.
2023-12-23 04:54:15
#nurses #guilty #detainees #death #ketamine #overdose
