Testimony for Elijah McClain murder trial focuses on use of carotid hold, controversial term "excited delirium"

Testimony focused on the controversial term "excited delirium" and also the police use of a carotid hold on the 23-year-old.

When Aurora police encountered Elijah McClain, he was wearing a mask and waving his arms. A struggle ensued. 

The officers had been trained to recognize the condition known as "excited delirium." 

Aurora Police Sgt. Kevin Smyth explained the meaning of the term, stating, "testimonies describe people having superhuman strength and that they're very difficult to get into handcuffs and to restrain."

He testified that the officers had also been trained on how to use a carotid hold to restrain a suspect for several minutes. 

"By reducing blood flow to the brain using the carotid control, it is actually impossible to cut off all blood flow to the brain," he said.

Paramedics then arrived at the scene and injected McClain with ketamine, which was later identified in the autopsy report as a cause of death. 

The mention of "excited delirium" was removed from the report, as it is considered by many to not be a legitimate medical diagnosis.