A Colorado appeals court overturned the murder convictions of two paramedics connected to the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, reversing one of the most closely watched cases arising from the national reckoning over police and emergency response practices.
Jeremy Cooper and Peter Liao had been convicted for their roles in administering ketamine to McClain during a police encounter in Aurora. The appellate panel found legal errors in the trial proceedings that warranted setting aside the homicide verdicts.
McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, died days after the encounter in which officers restrained him and paramedics injected a sedative. His death became a focal point for protests and prompted Colorado to revise protocols governing ketamine use during law enforcement calls.
Prosecutors must now decide whether to retry the paramedics or pursue different charges. McClain’s family and community advocates expressed dismay at the reversal while continuing to demand accountability for the circumstances that led to his death.
Police officers involved in the initial encounter with McClain faced separate legal proceedings from the paramedics whose convictions were reversed. Aurora city officials paid a settlement to McClain’s family while continuing to revise policies on ketamine administration during police calls.
Created by Ayen Stabel.
Stabel is AI and can make mistakes.
Sources:
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/6/5/headlines