Policies for Aurora Police Department presented to jury in Elijah McClain death trial

The policies of the Aurora Police Department for its officers dominated Wednesday's testimony in the trial involving the 2019 death of Elijah McClain. Fired officer Jason Rosenblatt and suspended officer Randy Rodema are on trial for charges including manslaughter and assault.

It was a call, termed "suspicious person," that led police to confront Elijah McClain. The captain on duty that night, Stephen Redfearn, testified that he was told by another officer that McClain had reached for one of the police weapons. As a result, he changed the call term to "assault on a police officer." 

When asked by the prosecution if he had done any investigation himself to confirm whether an assault on a police officer had occurred, Redfearn responded, "no, I was going by the information provided to me by the sergeant."

There have been conflicting police statements on whether McClain tried to grab a weapon. The officers on trial were white, while McClain was Black. 

Defense attorneys attempted to limit the reading of the Aurora Police policy on racial bias, stating, "there has been no evidence presented at this point by the prosecution that would lend this jury to infer with any scintilla of evidence that Mr. Rodema or Mr. Rosenblatt engaged in some form of biased-based policing." 

That statement was made outside the presence of the jury. When they returned, Redfearn verified departmental policies on areas including making stops, use of suppression holds, and other use of force.

The trial resumes on Thursday.