A Colorado paramedic convicted in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young, unarmed Black man, was sentenced to four years of probation with 14 months of work release on Friday, the final chapter of an explosive case that thrust the Denver suburb of Aurora into the national spotlight and helped usher in sweeping public safety reforms.
Jeremy Cooper, 49, a former paramedic with Aurora Fire Rescue, was found guilty in December of criminally negligent homicide.
A second paramedic, Peter Cichuniec, 51, a former lieutenant with the department, was sentenced last month to five years in prison.
Judge Mark Douglas Warner of the District Court in the 17th Judicial District said neither the jury nor the court saw evidence that Mr. Cooper purposely gave Mr. McClain an overdose though his actions deviated from the standard of care.
“It’s almost unthinkable the way things rolled out,” he said, later adding, “It didn’t have to happen.”
Persons:
Elijah McClain, Jeremy Cooper, Peter Cichuniec, Mark Douglas Warner, Cooper, McClain, “, ”
Organizations:
Aurora Fire, Judicial
Locations:
Colorado, Denver, Aurora