Former Paramedic Avoids Prison for Fatal Ketamine Injection During Police Custody

The former paramedic Jeremy Cooper who administered a lethal dose of ketamine to Elijah McClain during police custody was spared from prison time and received probation following his conviction for criminally negligent homicide. The sentencing comes after several trials that resulted in convictions against two other emergency responders as well as an officer involved in the case, which gained national attention amidst protests over racial justice issues in 2020. While Cooper faced a potential sentence of up to three years in prison for his role in McClain’s death, prosecutors acknowledged that sentences were uncommon against medical personnel charged with crimes involving police custody cases before recent public scrutiny. Former officer Randy Roedema was previously sentenced to fifteen months in jail following conviction on criminally negligent homicide and assault charges. Meanwhile, ex-paramedic Peter Cichuniec received a five-year prison sentence for his part in the incident that took McClain’s life. The convictions of these responders would have been rare before 2020 when protests against police brutality gained momentum following George Floyd’s murder, according to David Harris, an expert on racial profiling at the University of Pittsburgh Law School. Sheneen McClain, Elijah’s mother, criticized those present during her son’s ordeal for not taking adequate measures in his final moments before he was injected with ketamine by Cooper. “Eternal shame on all of you,” she said prior to the sentencing hearing held at a courtroom outside Denver earlier this month (April). In response, Jeremy Cooper apologized during the proceedings and expressed regret for not being able to save McClain’s life while also implying that he could have done more with additional knowledge. The case has shed light on police custody deaths across America as many departments reexamine their protocols in treating suspects following high-profile cases like those of George Floyd, Elijah McClain and Breonna Taylor. However, it may take years to collect enough evidence to determine if these efforts are working according to Candace McCoy, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice based in New York City. Since the incident involving Elijah McClain, Colorado health authorities have urged paramedics not to administer ketamine to individuals suspected of having excited delirium symptoms which were previously associated with increased strength as part of an unscientific definition rooted in racism according to a report by medical experts who reviewed his case.