Percy Bartelt, opinions editor

I apologize in advance for the brief reiterated mentions of Elijah McClain’s murder and its injustice that continue to this day in lieu of another trial. I hope for peace for his loved ones.

Back in Oct. 2023, the officers that wrongfully subdued and killed Elijah McClain, an unarmed 23-year-old Black man from Colorado, were put on trial. One officer was convicted and the other was acquitted and even got his job back along with $200k in back pay. Elijah McClain was a young, kind man that loved animals and was teaching himself how to play violin. Even to this day the courts can’t do him justice as the two paramedics that injected ketamine into him now stand trial.

Three officers were indicted and now two paramedics stand trial for the negligent, unjust murder of Elijah McClain. Standing trial now, the paramedics claim that McClain was in an “excited delirium.” Which, if you don’t know, is considered an outdated, even ignorant and racist term that’s completely unscientific – as reported by AP News on the declaration by other medical boards of this poor medical term. In the past, autopsies of – you guessed it – mostly Black men that were killed at the hands of police or medical professionals, also used this term “excited delirium” as if it’s an excuse to inject lethal amounts of drugs into their system. With this in mind, and the multitudes of people of color killed by police and/or medical staff, these are murders. Not killings or manslaughter as reported by the courts and news outlets, murders. This was intent to neglect one’s duty, due to prejudice, resulting in one’s death – I say again: intent.

Prior to McClain’s death, paramedics were told and trained NOT to administer ketamine when they see these similar signs of this “excited delirium,” but it was still used. And starting in 2024 Colorado officers will no longer be trained to look for those signs either. Oh, boy, what a big help that is. 

One of the paramedics is claiming to detectives that McClain was trying to evade arrest, but taking a look at the body cam footage from the three officers all on top of him at once, I think that would beg to differ. It’s also important to note that McClain is only sometimes seen in the footage, and this alleged escape was not once mentioned in the previous trials, so I think it’s interesting that all these same testimonies are being recounted in the officers’ trials – why this new detail? To try and further villainize yet another Black man that was murdered just for existing around white fragility? This ongoing trial is already seeing to frustrate many people.

Once again, I hope for peace for Elijah McClain’s loved ones, and every single person that has been impacted by similar stories, and there are unfortunately so many that relate. I hope justice is brought upon these two murderers.