Elijah McClain: Body cam shows events that led to 23-year-old’s death | USA TODAY

Body cam video shows the night Elijah McClain was confronted by Aurora Police.
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Colorado Governor Jared Polis appointed state Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate the death of Elijah McClain's death, a 23-year-old Black man who died in police custody.

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95 comments

    1. fucian j Officers don’t have that right unless they are detaining the individual. And again, in order to detain they need probable cause. There are discrimination laws as well as a constitutional right to not be harassed without cause. Like I said, had there been a report of anything illegal transpiring nearby, they would have been well within their rights. The police are supposed to be peacekeepers. One thing you seem to be forgetting, INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.

    2. @Edmond Dantes did you learn that on law and order? innocent until proven guilty applies to the judicial system after the arrest ya moron.

    3. @Quintin Southwick I honestly think he was panicking saying he couldn’t breathe, in the video the cops aren’t even touching his neck. Also he didn’t say from suffocation, he had a heart attack most likely from the drug. The cops really didn’t do anything wrong here.

    4. cheeseboiga Presumption of innocence extends beyond the courtroom moron. Why do you think they need probable cause? You’re not that stupid. Are you?

  1. How do you inject someone with ketamine when they’re passed out. You don’t know what type of medical problems that person has. This is at least manslaughter

    1. @ChuckinAurora incorrect ketamine is not a tool used by police because police have no authority to use ketamine. That is determined by the medical professional on the ambulance. Only a trained professional can administer ketamine. Whoever told you that police use ketamine lied to you and everyone else that believes that lie.

    2. @fucian j Right! Like George Floyed or Orlando Castille. Oh wait, They did comply and was still murdered, my bad.

    3. @Budd631 Right. Don’t forget the color of his skin…he should’ve known better going outside with brown colored skin.

  2. So now you can drug citizens? This is beyond disturbing. I hope everyone involved is nailed to a cross.

    1. @Aurora you and anyone who agrees with you have never been around a special person and are complete morons. This was unacceptable and were that my son or cousin I’d kill every person involved. One sentence in and anyone can tell he’s special. Did the police de-escilate? No. They killed him. My autistic son wears winter clothes year round and I live in Florida. Yup. I’d kill em all

    2. @fucian j how did you come up with this exception rubbish?
      What about Tamer Rice, he wasn’t given any opportunity to follow your rules?
      What about Breonna Taylor?
      Only Floyd is the exception right?
      Do you have some way of seeing every single police interaction?
      Wherever you are getting your data is incomplete, as most districts are under no obligation to provide any data and do not.
      Lastly this is about more than just deaths.
      Being killed by the police is the worst to happen.
      But what about all the assaults.
      The mistaken identities

    3. Wow, what a bunch of cowards these people in the comments are. They hide behind their phones and computers while spouting hate and dehumanization. Cant wait until we cleanse the earth of these fools.

    4. @fucian j Also why is Floyd a scumbag for pointing a gun at a pregnant woman but cops aren’t?
      In fact I know on one occasion where they didn’t just point but killed a pregnant woman sleeping in her car,
      What does that make them?

    1. @cheeseboiga bud..there was never a conflict in my opinion, therefore what the hell you mean make up my mind..trust me the cops knew that he was black otherwise they would have never stopped him in the first place. That’s my opinion, have always been my opinion, and I am sticking to it.

  3. Hey cops do you know why he had incredible strength , he was fearing for his life and the adtrneline was takeing over.

    1. Why would he fear. He just has to not resist. Nothing would have happened if he lets the bag on the ground a let the officers do their job.

    2. Lorenzo Espetxe do their job of what? Harassing him? Hurting him for nothing? White kids don’t have to worry about that so you can’t speak for him.

    3. Karen Schumer what? Ya ok. He was simply asked one thing. Stop. They would have investigated why they got the call and let him go. 99.9% of deaths by police involve people who RESIST!

  4. All Elijah McCains fault . He was black and…. oh, and so very suspicious. suspicious of walking with a bag in his hand on the sidewalk at night .and did I mention he was Black ?

  5. Throw the book at those murdering bastards cops. I’m so sorry that happen to you Lil Bro. Elijah you are resting in heaven now

    1. Just imagine the thousands of times that white cops have killed blacks in situation like this but got away with it because it was not on video tape!

    2. Someone called police and police were sent out to investigate that call. Also it was the EMTs that injected the drug in Elijah McClain.

      It’s still sad what happened, but it wasn’t the police this time.

    1. infinitezerogaming 303 exactly, a man in full riot gear armed with an automatic weapon was able to surrender and LIVE. We all know why.

    2. Because James Holmes surrendered peacefully and gave zero resistance. Also… different policemen involved. Same with Dylan Roof. He just gave himself up without any resistance.

    1. He wasnt on anything… that’s the crazy part, they’re either exaggerating or they’re weak.

    2. @aBigButterStick approved by the city has no validity. I need it approved by DOCTORS not some politician who thinks they know more than someone with baseline 8 years of scientific background

    1. @Jamie Dallas You don’t know what the heck you are talking about. Were you there? Did you do an toxicology on the kid?

    2. @MR. FOX were you, did you? The way this young man was treated was completely unacceptable. He was clearly not a danger and there was no need for sedation. Policing in the US is out of control!

    3. This report didn’t even confirm he was on drugs all you have to assume he’s on drugs is the police on cam, and they could have been saying that as an excuse for their arrest since they know they are recording.
      Think People!

  6. I literally just saw this on cnn and was like “who injects something into a person without knowing their health condition”?!

    1. @Jamie Dallas , your absolutley correct, they all should be accountable for this kids death and charged.

  7. I’m sure those cops thought they had gotten away with another murder, but they might as well start looking for a good lawyer.

    1. The cops did literally nothing wrong, the EMT gave him the drug and it was approved. If anything you should be mad at the city for allowing that drug to be used without knowing medical history, but no, cop bad always.

    2. @aBigButterStick As the police cam showed, Mcclain was just walking down the street. Nothing “suspicious” there. Unless there is some footage of something else going on, the police had no legal reason to stop him.

  8. “At best, he can explain why we were called, and if there was anything criminal…. but it doesn’t look like there was.”- Even the cop knew there was no reason for them to be there. The caller should get just as much, if not more hate than the cops.

    1. @Sara Shepard Breathing in dust and air pollution causes even more health problems. Don’t act like you give af about health.

    2. @Wheein Here Elijah escalated the situation at the beginning of the interaction but the cop did nothing to descalate the situation which was gross I hate to see it but this goes back to the discussion of police training

    3. @brad Lute he walked in and out of store with it on so your whole standpoint just completely falls apart

    4. @Garrett Lempia how did he escalate the situation please explain to the YouTube comment section your idiotic view point

    5. @Ngawati marupohill I can see where an insecure cop would interpret someone not obeying their command as escalating the situation. Personally, I believe that Elijah did NOTHING wrong and these idiots do not know how to interact with the public.

  9. “Whatevers he ‘on’, he has crazy strength.” Turns out, he was “on” nothing. Also, he weighed 140 lbs.

    1. @Martin K these people in the comments are sick in the head, not only was he profiled for being black *cough sorry I meant suspicious… but some how he deserved to die because he resisted. Just another way to dehumanize black people.

    2. Kennedy Suggs teaching courses in bootlicking 101 😂😂😂 these people who pretend to love freedom but then get on all fours for the government 😂

    3. Kennedy Suggs he was vomitting after the cops relesead the chock hold. He had already sustained the heart attack then.

    4. @UltimateWATCHER2 Talk about low IQ. You’re making guesses. He wasn’t trespassing. He was walking home. He was “suspicious” because he was wearing a ski mask (because he was anemic) and waiving his arms (because he was listening to music and dancing.) His “resisting” was asking not to be touched. Which, since he didn’t do anything wrong, was a reasonable request.

    5. @Lorenzo Espetxe yes, he will have been extremely scared, but describing him as unstable is unfair and also does not justify in the slightest the consequences. I don’t know whether this is correct or not, but he may have been on the autistic spectrum. This would massively affect how he reacted when confronted by the police in this way. Well trained police officers should know how to recognise this and deal with the situation appropriately. Even if Elijah did not have autism, the situation should have been de-escalated. There was absolutely no need for it to result in a (rightly) terrified man being sedated to the point of death.

  10. To everyone saying that he should have cooperated: The poor kid is scared. Amygdala hijack is a very real thing. You are put in a stressful situation and your fight or flight response kicks in, in the case of fight, it can make you act “irrationally”. A young black man who has definitely grown up seeing MULTIPLE cases of young black men being murdered by police finds himself stopped by police for being “suspicious”. I don’t blame him for reacting the way he did. This young man’s fight or flight response kicked in because he perceived a threat. Cops need to learn to deescalate. They also need to learn to not inject medications into someone without knowing their medical history. Especially if they’re using incorrect dosing. This is gross negligence by the cops and paramedic.

    Also, it’s very suspect that their body cameras fell on the grass grass…

    1. *** You’re incorrect. It had nothing to do with acting irrational or fight or flight, he is autistic.

    2. Half of you talking have no idea what your even talking about. *** It had nothing to do with acting irrational, not following order, or fight or flight, he is autistic.

    3. @Clarissa Explains It All I said he grabed the gun. I didn’t say he took it. So step back and get my words right first off. Second, 1:05 the other officer let’s him know.

  11. “Get him some more units, we are fighting him”.

    That’s all I needed to hear.

    Y’all felt intimidated by an unarmed young man wearing a ski mask due to being anemic & walking to his home after shopping.

    Before any questions were asked, you approached him while he was turning down his music to hear y’all. Ok…🤔

    He kept repeating, I’m an introvert and I’m different. I just want to go home.

    “Whatever he was on, he had incredible strength” He was scared!!!

    When did he reach for a gun? I don’t hear anyone saying such a thing on camera. False report!

    1. He was trying to walk away from them when he was told to stay put. It is clearly said on video that the officer thought he was reaching for his holster.

      It is so sad this happened. He didn’t understand what the social code is with police. He seemed like such a kind soul. But he was resisting and they used the wrong force on him. That poor kid.

    2. They do say that. Was probably a lie, cause in this climate cops need to make it look like they are in danger to act or they ll get fired. My advice: dont resist arrest.

    3. @Lorenzo Espetxe If I was resisting a cop and he said I reached for his gun I would immediately say I didn’t, Elijah didn’t say anything, no one was there but everyone seems to know the cops are lying.

    4. @aBigButterStick You would have the forethought to say that as you’re being dragged to the ground? You’re a better person than me. If I’d even realized the cop was making that claim under those circumstances, I would have been surprised at myself.

  12. I pray that this family gets some kind of JUSTICE…THIS REALLY SADDENS ME WITH THIS VERY, VERY INNOCENT YOUNG MAN…DAMN

  13. Can you imagine how his father feels? I would want blood… NOTHING ELSE! As a father of three black children I am simply heartbroken. Grown men killing my child. Nothing but death would be appropriate.

  14. I literally just sat here and cried like a baby. Like this is so fkk’d up mannn😞😞😞😢💔

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