Colorado prosecution rests in Nathan Woodyard trial in death of Elijah McClain

Jurors in the trial of Aurora Police Officer Nathan Woodyard have been told to come back on Tuesday, Oct. 31 after taking a day off on Monday. The prosecution finished with its final witness on Friday afternoon. 

For its last witness, the prosecution called Dr. Roger Mitchell a forensic pathologist. The coroner had found that Elijah McClain died from the sedative ketamine, following forcible restraint. 

But Mitchell insisted the death was caused during the restraint but in line with the official finding.

"I agree, that both restraint and the ketamine is what killed Elijah McClain," said Dr Mitchell. 

However, the defense tried to convince the jury that the actions of  Woodyard did not contribute to the death. It was Woodyard who performed a neck hold on McClain. 

Mitchell was asked by the defense if that neck hold was related to paramedics injecting McClain with a sedative. 

Mitchell responded, "A carotid hold does not cause the injection of ketamine." 

He testified that he found a direct link between the actions of officers and the death of Elijah McClain. The defense is expected to make a request for acquittal that will go before the judge on Monday without a jury present. 

It is not clear what the defense will do when told it is its turn to present a case. Woodyard will be asked if he wants to testify on his behalf. he faces a charge of manslaughter, or the jury can decide if he is guilty of a lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide or not guilty and both charges.