Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Jury pool down to 41 in trial of officers charged in the death of Elijah McClain 

Names of the 5 officers in Elijah McClains Death
Aurora Police officers Randy Roedema and Nathan Woodyard, former officer Jason Rosenblatt and Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec in September 2021 were each indicted on charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide as part of a 32-count indictment. Courtesy WHAS11 TV, Aurora, Colorado

By Tony Gorman

The pool of 250 potential jurors has been culled to 41 during the third day of jury selection for the first trial in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain.

Officer Randy Roedema and former officer Jason Rosenblatt face charges of criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter and assault. They have pleaded not guilty.

The racial makeup of jurors became a sticking point on Tuesday at the Adams County Justice Center in Brighton and led to some tense moments in the courtroom. Prosecutors said they believed the defense wanted to exclude a juror of color who had expressed sympathy for McClain. They issued a Batson challenge — an objection to a party’s use of a peremptory strike to exclude a juror from the jury pool on the basis of race. The defense accused the prosecution of racism. That juror was eventually dismissed. 

Questioning was similar to Monday’s and dealt with relationships with law enforcement officers, media influence and previous encounters with law enforcement.

Several potential jurors were excused because of pre-existing relationships with law enforcement officers through family, close friends, and acquaintances through other channels such as coaching youth football. 

Most of the jurors were questioned on media coverage of the trial. Several expressed that they don’t trust the media. One said the trial has weighed heavily on them since hearing it on the radio to the point they couldn’t sleep at night.

Two jurors expressed language barriers that could potentially prevent them from making the correct decision in the trial.

The jury selection resumes Wednesday morning and is expected to wrap up before noon. Once the jury is seated, the trial will begin with opening statements. 

Two other trials are on scheduled in the death of Elijah McClain. Another officer and two paramedics face the same charges of criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter and assault. They have also pleaded not guilty. 

Elijah McClain Class Is In Session
Elijah McClain was a 23-year-old massage therapist who played the violin. McClain was in the hospital after he was forcibly detained by Aurora police officers in August 2019. He later died. Courtesy Sheneen McClain

August 2019 – The Death Of Elijah McClain

On Aug. 24, 2019, Elijah McClain was on his way home from a gas station where he bought four cans of Brisk tea when he encountered officers. They stopped him after receiving calls of a “suspicious man.”

Soon, the situation escalated and they put McClain, a Denver native and massage therapist in Aurora, in a chokehold and forced him to the ground for 15 minutes. He eventually started vomiting and complaining that he couldn’t breathe.

“There was a physical struggle,” former APD Chief Nick Metz said back in October. “When (police) saw (McClain), they told him to stop. He wouldn’t stop. Again, he was wearing a ski mask, it’s 10:30 p.m. at night in a residential area, so obviously that creates some concern.”

However, according to Elijah’s family, he was anemic and he favored wearing a ski mask to keep his face warm while he was walking.

In November 2019, a judge ruled that criminal charges wouldn’t be pressed against the cops involved in the arrest of McClain because there wasn’t any indisputable evidence that an officer used “unjustified” force.

Written By

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

ADVERTISEMENT

IMM MASK Promos

ADVERTISEMENT

You May Also Like

Obit

Mother Dollie V. Sample, a beacon of warmth and love, departed this world on September 9, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas. Born on September...

Obit

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Ronald Jones, a remarkable individual whose life was celebrated for its richness and...

Obit

Johnny Lawrence Jones was born on July 10, 1967, in the United States, and passed away on August 21, 2024. His departure leaves a...

Obit

LATRISSIA PEOPLES, a beacon of light to all who had the distinct privilege of knowing her, departed this earthly realm on August 18, 2024,...

Advertisement