Aurora Officer Who Placed Elijah McClain in Neck Hold Found Not Guilty in Manslaughter Case

Aurora Police Officer Nathan Woodyard has been found not guilty of charges related to the death of Elijah McClain. 

The shocking verdict was handed down on Monday for the officer who had been on trial for manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of the 23-year-old Black man in August 2019. McClain was walking home when someone called the police on him because he appeared suspicious due to the mask he was wearing. When Woodyard responded to the scene, he grabbed the young man shortly after exiting his vehicle and placed him in a neck hold. The young man lost consciousness, and first responders at the scene injected him with ketamine to sedate him. Prosecutors argued that Woodyard used excessive force and ignored the department’s de-escalation policy, CBS News explains. However, on the stand, Woodyard claimed he feared for his life when encountering McClain.

The jury seems to have agreed with the defense’s argument that while Woodyard did use improper force, he did not contribute to his death. However, a medical expert has stated otherwise during the trial. Following the verdict, the Aurora Police released a statement on Twitter, seemingly pleased with the outcome. 

“As a nation, we must be committed to the rule of law. As such, we hold the American judicial process in high regard. We respect the verdict handed down by the jury and thank the members of the jury for their thoughtful deliberation and service. Due to the additional pending trial, the Aurora Police Department is precluded from further comment at this time,” part of the statement read.

“As previously stated, I know many have been waiting a long time for the involved party to have his day in court. As a nation, we must be committed to the rule of law. As such, we hold the American judicial process in high regard. We respect the verdict handed down by the… pic.twitter.com/5z8nmrWlOv

— Aurora Police Dept (@AuroraPD) November 6, 2023

Another Aurora officer, Jason Rosenblatt, was also acquitted last month in McClain’s death. He was charged with reckless manslaughter and second-degree assault. A third officer, Randy Roedema, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault. Ex-paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec will also stand trial for McClain’s death, with jury selection scheduled for November 27th.