The parents of Elijah McClain, a black man who died in the custody of law enforcement officers, filed a lawsuit against the Police Department and medical officials.
Sheneen McClain and Lawayne Mosley, the parents of 23-year-old Elijah McClain, filed the suit on Tuesday, nearly a year after his death, according to the Associated Press.
“We have filed this civil rights lawsuit to demand justice for Elijah McClain, to hold accountable the Aurora officials, police officers, and paramedics responsible for his murder, and to force the City of Aurora to change its longstanding pattern of brutal and racist policing,” McClain and Mosley said in a statement released by their attorney.
Elijah McClain was walking home in August 2019 when someone called the police to inform officers that he “looked sketchy” and was wearing a ski mask, according to the New York Times. When the police arrived, they attempted to arrest McClain, and the officers used a carotid hold, which restricts blood to the brain to render someone unconscious.
Paramedics also gave him 500 milligrams of ketamine to calm him down, and he later suffered cardiac arrest. He was declared brain dead and taken off life support several days later.
McClain’s death gained renewed awareness following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. Their deaths, some of which came in the custody of law enforcement officers, sparked nationwide calls for police reform and equality.
