Appeals court reverses convictions of former Aurora paramedics in Elijah McClain case
The Colorado Sun • • nation
Key Points:
- The Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the criminally negligent homicide convictions of former Aurora paramedics Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, ordering new trials due to improper jury instructions.
- The court ruled that jurors were misled by being told to apply "common and ordinary meanings" rather than the professional standard of care expected of paramedics, which was a significant legal error.
- McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, died after being detained by police and receiving an overdose of ketamine from the paramedics, who based the dosage on an overestimated weight.
- While the homicide convictions were overturned, the Court of Appeals upheld Cichuniec’s second-degree assault conviction.
- Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defended the prosecution and affirmed his office’s commitment to upholding the convictions through the appeals process.