An appeals court in Colorado has overturned the homicide convictions of two paramedics connected to the ketamine overdose death of Elijah McClain. This decision comes after the Black man, who was a massage therapist, was restrained by police officers responding to a call about a suspicious person.
The appeal affects Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, paramedics with Aurora Fire Rescue, who were previously found guilty of criminally negligent homicide by a jury in 2023. Their initial trial stretched over several weeks in state district court.
After their convictions, Cooper was sentenced to 14 months in jail, including work release and probation, avoiding prison time. Cichuniec faced a harsher sentence due to an additional conviction for felony assault, which the appeals court has upheld.
The court’s reversal of the homicide convictions stemmed from issues related to the jury instructions given before deliberations. The appeals court found fault in these instructions, thus ordering new trials for Cooper and Cichuniec.