Jury convicts 1 officer, acquits another in Elijah McClain death

Prosecutors argued that the police restraint of McClain contributed to his death while the defense blamed the paramedics.

By Ben Whedon

Published: October 12, 2023 8:23pm

A jury on Thursday convicted one police officer and acquitted a second on charges related to the 2019 death of Elijah McClain.

McClain's death attracted little press at the time, but received renewed attention during the 2020 demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd. McClain died after paramedics injected him with ketamine while he was restrained by police.

The jury convicted officer Randy Roedema of third-degree assault and criminally negligent homicide, the Associated Press reported. Officer Jason Rosenblatt, meanwhile, was found not guilty.

Neither officer testified at the trial. Prosecutors argued that the police restraint of McClain contributed to his death while the defense blamed the paramedics.

Floyd's 2020 death in police custody sparked nationwide protests demanding reforms to police practices in the United States. McClain's visage was sometimes featured at such demonstrations, particularly in his native Colorado.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.