Paramedics Found Guilty in Elijah McClain Case, Prompting Changes in Law Enforcement Policies

The tragic death of Elijah McClain has led to significant policy changes, including bans on strangleholds and the removal of 'excited delirium' from law enforcement training documents.

• Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, died after being placed in a stranglehold by police and administered an overdose of ketamine by paramedics in Aurora, Colorado in 2019.
• Two paramedics involved in McClain's death were recently found guilty of criminally negligent homicide, and one police officer was found guilty of homicide.
• McClain's death has led to significant changes in policies regarding the treatment of people in police custody across the U.S., including bans on strangleholds and the removal of the unofficial diagnosis of 'excited delirium' from law enforcement training documents.
• The American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American College of Emergency Physicians oppose the use of ketamine or any other sedative/hypnotic agent to chemically incapacitate someone solely for a law enforcement purpose and not for a legitimate medical reason.
• Medical providers are urged to rely on their training and expertise to make medical decisions independently of law enforcement, particularly in high-stress situations.

3 Articles

Reason.com Forbes Forbes