Current:Home > StocksJudge frees Colorado paramedic convicted in death of Elijah McClain from prison-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Judge frees Colorado paramedic convicted in death of Elijah McClain from prison
View Date:2024-12-23 21:43:58
DENVER (AP) — A Colorado paramedic convicted in the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man whose name became part of the rallying cries for social justice that swept the U.S. in 2020, is being released from prison after a judge reduced his sentence to four years of probation Friday.
Judge Mark Warner ruled that “unusual and extenuating circumstances” in the case justified reducing the five-year prison sentence for Peter Cichuniec, The Denver Post reported.
Warner is the same judge who sentenced Cichuniec to prison in March.
McClain was walking down the street in a Denver suburb in 2019 when police responding to a suspicious person report forcibly restrained him and put him in a neck hold. His final words — “I can’t breathe” — foreshadowed those of George Floyd a year later in Minneapolis.
Cichuniec and a fellow paramedic were convicted in December of criminally negligent homicide for injecting McClain with ketamine, a powerful sedative blamed for killing the 23-year-old massage therapist. Cichuniec also was convicted on a more serious charge of second-degree assault for giving a drug without consent or a legitimate medical purpose.
McClain’s death and others have raised questions about the use of ketamine to subdue struggling suspects, and the prosecution sent shock waves through the ranks of paramedics across the U.S.
“After considering the evidence, a statewide grand jury indicted Cichuniec and a jury of his peers found him guilty of his criminal acts that led to the death of Elijah McClain. We are disappointed the court reduced his sentence today, but we respect the court’s decision,” the office of Colorado Attorney General Philip Weiser said in a statement.
Colorado’s mandatory sentencing law allows a court to modify a sentence after a defendant has served least 119 days in prison if the judge finds the case is exceptional and involves “unusual and extenuating circumstances.”
McClain’s mother, Sheneen McClain, declined via email to comment Friday. In March she celebrated the original sentence handed down by the judge as she left the courtroom that day, raising her fist in the air.
veryGood! (34)
Related
- Ashton Jeanty stats: How many rushing yards did Boise State Heisman hopeful have vs Nevada
- DC pandas will be returning to China in mid-November, weeks earlier than expected
- Senegalese opposition leader Sonko regains consciousness but remains on hunger strike, lawyer says
- Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost Put Their Chemistry on Display in Bloopers Clip
- Mississippi woman pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds
- Wisconsin Republicans back bill outlawing race- and diversity-based university financial aid
- In closing days of Mississippi governor’s race, candidates clash over how to fund health care
- Northwestern State football cancels 2023 season after safety Ronnie Caldwell's death
- Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families
- Maine massacre among worst mass shootings in modern US history
Ranking
- Wendi McLendon-Covey talks NBC sitcom 'St. Denis Medical' and hospital humor
- New labor rule could be a big deal for millions of franchise and contract workers. Here's why.
- Home prices and rents have both soared. So which is the better deal?
- NFL Week 8 picks: Buccaneers or Bills in battle of sliding playoff hopefuls?
- Quincy Jones' cause of death revealed: Reports
- China shows off a Tibetan boarding school that’s part of a system some see as forced assimilation
- Home prices and rents have both soared. So which is the better deal?
- 'Naked Attraction' offers low-hanging fruit
Recommendation
-
Former West Virginia jail officer pleads guilty to civil rights violation in fatal assault on inmate
-
Sofia Richie Makes a Convincing Case to Revive the Y2K Trend of Using Concealer as Lipstick
-
FBI part of Michigan Police's investigation on fired Michigan football assistant Matt Weiss
-
White House says Russia is executing its own soldiers for not following orders
-
MLS playoff teams set: Road to MLS Cup continues with conference semifinals
-
Mikaela Shiffrin still has more to accomplish after record-breaking season
-
Best Buy recalls almost 1 million pressure cookers after spewed contents burn 17 people
-
Pilot dead after small plane crashes in eastern Wisconsin