In September, a Colorado grandy jury indicted three police officers and two fire department paramedics involved in ElijahMcClain’s 2019 death, following protests in Aurora, Colorado, and a viral online petition.
This week, the family of Elijah McClain reached an undisclosed settlement agreement with the city of Aurora.
“There’s no amount of money that could ever compensate Ms. McClain or Elijah’s family for their devastating loss,” said Matthew Cron, who represents McClain’s mother and the estate.
The renewed attention on McClain’s death also led to a 14-month investigation led by the Colorado Attorney General’s office. The investigation found the Aurora Police Department practices racially biased policing and excessive force. The report also revealed the fire department had a pattern and practice of illegally administering ketamine.
In a recent interview on Law & Crime Network, Denver defense lawyer Jeffrey Wolf stressed the importance of standing up for people like Elijah McClain and resisting the unchecked impunity of local law enforcement.
“This is my hometown, this is where I live…and this tragedy is something that did not even come to light until the George Floyd case erupted throughout the country, and somebody decided to take a look at what happened to this kid…” explained Wolf.
“He was brutally assaulted by the Aurora Police Department,” Wolf continued. “He was drugged by the paramedics on the order of the Aurora Police Department. It’s something that happens out here more than we’d like to see…this is a systemic problem. This is something that continues in Aurora, Colorado…we can’t say Elijah McClain’s name enough in our community and nationwide…”
Watch Jeff Wolf’s impassioned speech on Elijah McClain’s death and the evolving investigation into the Aurora Police Department in the video above.
