In Colorado, the first of two trials is underway in the death of Elijah McClain.

On a late summer night in 2019, McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was stopped by police in Aurora, Colorado as he was walking home. McClain was put in a chokehold and injected with a high dose of ketamine. He died several days later in the hospital.

Authorities declined to press charges against police and paramedics involved in the incident, insisting "they had acted consistently with their training." But nearly a year after McCain's death, the case was reopened. Now three police officers and two paramedics face criminal charges including assault, manslaughter and homicide.

Colorado Public Radio justice reporter Allison Sherry has followed McClain's case and the way his legacy has made an impact on policing in Colorado. Today on The Sunday Story, we bring you an excerpt of the audio documentary, "The Life and Death of Elijah Mclain."

This story includes graphic descriptions of violence and sounds from body cameras worn by police officers.

The full version of this audio documentary is in the podcast Colorado in Depth. To stay updated on the trials, go to cpr.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy