Independent investigators released a report Monday, February 22 that determined police were at fault for the deadly arrest of Elijah McClain. The arresting officers were faulted for “quick, aggressive treatment” of McClain, and District Attorney Dave Young was called out for failing to properly investigate the case, The Associated Press reports.
McClain, 23, was killed while being arrested by Aurora, Colorado police in August 2019 after someone reported him as suspicious. The report, which was commissioned by by the city of Aurora, found “two contrasting stories” of the events that unfolded leading up to McClain’s death. One story was based on statements from law enforcement, who accused McClain of being violent, which then forced them to engage in a struggle with the young, Black man. The second story is told by the police body camera footage, which shows McClain apologizing, crying out in pain, trying to explain himself and pleading with the officers. In the footage,