Key facts
- Colorado Court of Appeals ordered a retrial for paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec.
- Convictions for criminally negligent homicide were reversed due to errors in jury instructions.
- Peter Cichuniec's conviction for second-degree felony assault was upheld.
- Elijah McClain died in 2019 after being stopped by police and injected with ketamine by paramedics.
- Paramedic Jeremy Cooper was sentenced to 14 months in a work-release program and four years of probation.
- Paramedic Peter Cichuniec received four years of probation.
A Colorado court has ordered a retrial for two paramedics, Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec, who were convicted in connection with the death of Elijah McClain. The Colorado Court of Appeals reversed the paramedics' 2023 convictions for criminally negligent homicide, citing errors in jury instructions. However, Cichuniec's conviction for second-degree felony assault was upheld. McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist, died in 2019 after being stopped by police, placed in a neck hold, and injected with ketamine by paramedics. The case has influenced police reforms in Colorado, including a ban on chokeholds. Cooper was sentenced to 14 months in a work-release program and four years of probation, while Cichuniec received four years of probation. In a separate verdict, police officer Randy Roedema was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide, while officers Jason Rosenblatt and Nathan Woodyard were found not guilty on related charges. Criminal charges against paramedics and emergency medical technicians involved in police custody cases are rare.