Three police officers and two paramedics have each been charged with one count of manslaughter and one count of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Elijah McClain, who died following a police encounter in Aurora, Colorado in 2019, The Colorado Sun reports. The grand jury's returned 32-count indictment was announced Wednesday.
McClain's mother, Sheneen McClain, said she is "grateful that my son is going to have his justice," and "grateful for the charges."
"I've been crying just thinking about the process that it's took after two years to get this report," she added. "I'm overwhelmed. I didn't know what the outcome was going to be, honestly. I had no expectations, honestly."
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Two years ago, on Aug. 24, 2019, Aurora police stopped McClain as he walked home from a convenience store. McClain had committed no crime, but a teenager in the area reported him to the cops for looking "suspicious." After approaching, officers placed the unarmed, 23-year-old McClain in a neck hold and injected him with ketamine. He suffered cardiac arrest and then died in the hospital about six days later, per the Sun.
"I'm not just a crazy mom trying to fight a fight that's not worthy," said Sheneen McClain on Wednesday. "This is a worthy fight for my son's justice." She noted, however, that "it's not over. We still have to go to trial."
Added Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who said his office will continue to investigate the Aurora Police Department's practices and policies: "We are here today because Elijah McClain is not here and he should be." "His life is a loss to all of us," he said.
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