Two doctors in the American state of Colorado have been found guilty by a jury of the death of 23-year-old Elijah McClain in 2019. American media report this.
McClain, who is black, was stopped by police on the street after an anonymous caller said he looked “mysterious.” He resisted, was put in a chokehold by officers and was given ketamine by the two doctors to calm him down. He became unconscious and had to be taken to hospital. He died there after six days.
The jury accuses both doctors, Jeremy Cooper (49) and Peter Cichuniec (51), of manslaughter.
In their defense, the doctors argued that the officers had treated McClain roughly and communicated poorly with them about the situation. According to them, the administration of ketamine was justified because McClain was agitated and in a state of delirium. An autopsy showed that the dose of ketamine they administered was too high.
Two of the officers were previously found innocent and a third guilty of lesser offences. A judge must determine what the punishment will be for this officer and the two doctors.
The death of Elijah McClain initially only received attention in local media, but became more widely known after the death of the black George Floyd in 2020, due to violent police actions during his arrest.
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