Second Police Officer Acquitted in Elijah McClain Death Case, Trial for Paramedics Awaited

Officer Nathan Woodyard, accused of putting Elijah McClain in a neck hold, found not guilty of homicide and manslaughter; trial of two paramedics who administered a lethal ketamine dose set to begin.

Officer Nathan Woodyard has been acquitted of manslaughter and the homicide of Elijah McClain, following allegations he put McClain in a deadly neck hold.
Woodyard was the second of three officers to face trial over McClain's death in August 2019; the first trial resulted in one officer being acquitted and another found guilty.
Despite the acquittals, advocates for police reform and McClain's mother, Sheneen, continue to fight for justice and point to institutional issues in the justice system.
Paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Lt. Peter Cichuniec, who allegedly administered the lethal dose of ketamine to McClain, are awaiting trial, with jury selection beginning on November 17, 2023.
The controversial deaths of Elijah McClain and George Floyd have fueled a wave of legislation limiting the use of deadly force by law enforcement officials and certain medical treatments by paramedics.