Elijah McClain's mom: May they "rot in hell" as Colorado jury deliberates case of 2 paramedics charged in son's death

The jury began deliberations on Thursday in the case of two paramedics charged in the death of Elijah McClain. Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec have been charged with reckless manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and assault. 

They injected McClain with ketamine following his violent encounter with Aurora police officers in 2019. According to the medical examiner, the 23-year-old died of complications of ketamine following forcible restraint.  

The defense rested its case on Tuesday after four days of testimony. 

Prosecutors spent seven days calling witnesses to argue the paramedics did not follow medical protocols and that the dose of ketamine they gave McClain was what led to his death. Ketamine is a weight-based drug, and the amount McClain received is for a person more than 200 pounds.

Cooper told the court he estimated McClain's weight to be about 200 pounds by comparing him to himself. McClain weighed closer to 140 pounds.

Three officers from the Aurora Police Department have been tried in connection to McClain's death. Two were acquitted, and a third was found guilty. 

A jury found Randy Roedema guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault, while Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault back in October. Sentencing for Roedema is scheduled for Jan. 5 at 1:30 p.m. in Adams County Court. 

A jury also found Nathan Woodyard not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the 23-year-old's death. Since the verdict, he has returned to the Aurora Police Department. 

Elijah McClain's mother Sheneen McClain released this statement on Thursday: No amount of procedures, practices, protocols, or the lack of training for service jobs will ever replace the human heart. I am sure that if Elijah had been one of their children, family members, friends, or comrades, they would not have been so indifferent to what was happening, like they were with my son. The lack of goodness and the lack of humanity in everyone who showed up to my son's murder that night, proves that they are all inhuman in some way, shape, or form. I was taught better than that, and it is obvious that they were not. We are supposed to do better if we know how to do better, so there is no excuse for the lack of accountability in their collective actions. They cannot blame their job training for their indifference to evil or their participation in an evil action…that is completely on them. May all of their souls rot in hell when their time comes. Divine Justice for Elijah McClain.

The jury came back into the courtroom for a short time on Thursday afternoon and asked four questions. The jury then went home for the night. If the jury cannot reach a verdict by Friday, they'll resume deliberations the day after Christmas.