A Colorado police officer acquitted of all charges in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain has returned to duty with more than $200,000 in back pay.
Aurora officer Nathan Woodyard was found not guilty earlier this month of reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
A court heard how he was the first officer to come into contact with McClain on 24 August 2019 after a teenager called 911 saying they had seen him wearing a coat and mask and acting “suspicious.”
McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was stopped by three white officers and during the confrontation he was placed in a chokehold.
Bodycam footage of the incident shows that after throwing up while the officers restrained him he said: “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to do that, I can’t breathe correctly.”
Nathan Woodyard— (2023 The Denver Post, Medianews Group)
After he was pinned down and restrained, two paramedics injected him with the sedative Ketamine. McClain went into cardiac arrest, and died after being removed from life support days later. He was never accused of having committed any crime and was in fact simply walking home after buying some iced tea.
Officer Woodyard – who was accused of putting McClain in a carotid hold in order to deliberately cut off the supply of blood to his brain and render him unconscious – was suspended from the department without pay pending the outcome of the trial.
He was the first officer to contact McClain on 24 August 2019, after someone called 911 and relayed that he saw McClain wearing a coat and mask and acting “suspicious.” McClain was not breaking any laws when he was stopped, and was not armed.
Mr Woodyard was found not guilty on 6 November of reckless manslaughter and of the lesser included charge of criminally negligent homicide.
The City of Aurora says that Officer Woodyward will now go through a period of “reintegration” into the force and receive $212,546.04 in back pay, reported 9NEWS.
“Consistent with the requirements set forth in the Aurora City Charter, Nathan Woodyard is no longer suspended without pay following his acquittal on Nov. 6,” city spokesperson Ryan Luby said in a statement.
“He has elected to reintegrate with the APD and is currently on Restricted Duty (not in uniform, no public contact, and no enforcement actions) pending next steps in the reintegration process.”
Elijah McClain— (via REUTERS)
Officer Randy Roedema was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault and his employment was terminated by the city.
Jason Rosenblatt was acquitted of both counts he faced.
But he was fired from the force in 2020 for replying “Ha ha” to a picture other officers took giving each other chokeholds at the site of McClain’s death.
Opening statements have now begun in the trial of paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, who have pleaded not guilty to manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and second-degree assault.
