PROGRESS

Three Colorado Cops Involved in Elijah McClain’s Death Put on ‘Non-Enforcement’ Duties

In August, Elijah McClain had been walking home from the grocery store when he was put into a chokehold by police.

The three Aurora, Colorado cops involved in Elijah McClain’s August death have been placed on “non-enforcement” duties. The officers, Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema, will perform duties that do not require physical interaction with the public and consist mostly of administrative work. According to KDVR, Woodyard and Rosenblatt were moved to their new roles on June 12, while Roedema made the move on June 20. A police spokesperson said that one reason the officers were moved is for their own safety.

McClain was walking home from a convenience store last year when someone called 911 to report a suspicious person wearing a ski and waving his arms. McClain was dancing to music and often wore the mask because his diagnosed anemia made him cold, his family said. During a 15-minute altercation, the officers tackled him to the ground and put him in a carotid hold before he lost consciousness. Paramedics injected him with a large dose of ketamine and he suffered a heart attack in the ambulance.