Updated 6-25-20: Below I've posted an Instagram post with all of the numbers of people in Colorado to call and demand justice for Elijah McClain
Somehow, Elijah McClain's story slipped through the cracks of mainstream media, but now, thanks to social media, we are seeing Elijah's story surge and there are a lot of questions surrounding the 23 year old's encounter with police and his subsequent death. Last August, Elijah was walking home in Aurora, Colorado, when he was stopped by police after a 911 call reported a "suspicious" person wearing a ski mask. Elijah was unarmed and had not committed any crime. The police tackled McClain, put him in a carotid hold, and then proceeded to call first responders who injected him with ketamine. Elijah suffered a heart attack on his way to the hospital and died days later.
Body camera footage of Elijah's arrest does exist, although it was not released until November. In the footage, officers can be heard admitting that Elijah had committed no crime and one officer claimed that Elijah went for his gun. Meanwhile, Elijah himself can be heard asking the officers to stop, in addition to apologizing, vomiting, and informing the officers that he cannot breathe. An autopsy listed Elijah's cause of death as undetermined and the officers involved were cleared of wrongdoing. Full story HERE
Below is a clip from the body cam footage. You can hear how terrified Elijah was. You can hear him scared for his life.