The Colorado cops involved with the death of Elijah McClain have been placed on “non-enforcement” duties.
Officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema, have been curbed from physical interaction with the public and assigned to desk duty.
A police spokesperson said part of the reason why the officers will now perform administrative work is for their own safety, according to The Daily Beast.
The move comes after the Colorado governor directed a special prosecutor to reopen the investigation into McClain’s death, theGrio previously reported.
READ MORE: After Elijah McClain was killed by police, a petition signed by more than 2M seeks justice
Another beautiful soul killed at the hands of police. #elijahmcclain pic.twitter.com/Nr79q75EL2
— Martin Luther King III (@OfficialMLK3) June 26, 2020
On Thursday, Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order calling for state Attorney General Phil Weiser to reexamine the disturbing case and possibly prosecute the three white officers involved, TMZ reports.
Polis was moved to take action after over 2 million signed a petition this week demanding justice for the 23-year-old.
McClain had anemia and wore a mask to protect himself but was deemed “suspicious” after a call was sent to the Colorado police last August. An earlier report published on theGrio noted that he went to a convenience store to buy iced tea for his brother on August 24, 2019.
He wore an open-face ski mask because he “had anemia and would sometimes get cold,” according to his sister. On the night he was confronted by the three officers, McCain was dancing to music, which prompted the 911 call about a “suspicious” person.
READ MORE: Colorado reopens case of Elijah McClain’s death in police custody
Today I signed an Executive Order designating Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate and, if the facts support prosecution, criminally prosecute any individuals whose actions caused the death of Elijah McClain.
Executive Order: https://t.co/efmVp0mhGS
Statement below: pic.twitter.com/M5q14GoHPE— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) June 25, 2020
McClain was stopped by police while walking home. Though unarmed, police claimed “a struggle ensued” and one officer accused McClain of reaching for his gun. He was then placed into a carotid hold, resulting in him losing consciousness for several minutes, according to reports.
Paramedics arrived on the scene and reportedly found McClain in an agitated state, so they gave him a “therapeutic” amount of ketamine to sedate him. The other officers held him down for 15 minutes as McClain went into cardiac arrest.
He was taken to the hospital and declared brain dead on August 30, 2019, and taken off life support.
A coroner determined that his death was due to “undetermined causes,” but did not rule out the police chokehold or the ketamine injection as contributing factors.
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