Jeremy Cooper, a former Aurora Fire Rescue paramedic in Colorado, was sentenced to four years of probation for his involvement in the killing of Elijah McClain. The judge, Mark Warner, also imposed 14 months’ work release and 100 hours of community service on Cooper, who had been convicted of criminally negligent homicide. The judge noted that body camera videos of McClain’s deadly interaction with police were difficult to watch and emphasized that Cooper had injected McClain with more Ketamine than recommended. Despite this, Cooper was described as contrite, dedicated to helping others, and not likely to commit crimes in the future.
Prior to his sentencing, Cooper expressed his remorse for his role in McClain’s death and stated that he wished he could have done things differently. McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, also addressed the court, condemning Cooper for his failure to adequately care for her son during the incident. She accused Cooper of not checking for her son’s pulse, conducting a thorough examination, or engaging with him to assess his well-being. She emphasized that nothing Cooper could say would bring back her son or absolve him of responsibility.
The sentencing of Cooper marks the end of legal proceedings against first responders involved in McClain’s death. Paramedic Peter Cichuniec was sentenced to five years in prison, while police officer Randy Roedema received a 14-month prison term. Another police officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was acquitted on various charges and resigned from the department after appearing in a photo that appeared to mock a memorial for McClain. The final police officer involved, Nathan Woodyard, was found not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide charges.
The incident involving McClain occurred on August 24, 2019, when he was stopped by police in the Denver suburb while walking home. He was placed in a chokehold, and paramedics administered Ketamine to sedate him, leading to cardiac arrest. McClain was taken off life support on August 30. Local prosecutors initially declined to press charges against the first responders involved, but a special prosecutor was assigned by Governor Jared Polis in June 2020 following national civil rights protests triggered by the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The pursuit of justice for McClain’s death has been a prolonged and emotionally charged process, culminating in the sentencing of the various individuals involved in the tragic incident.
