On August 24, 2019, Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old massage therapist, walked to a store in Aurora, Colorado to buy iced tea for his brother. As he walked home while listening to music, a bystander called the police." The "suspicious" caller reported his behavior and the open face ski mask he was wearing because he was anemic and often felt cold. The caller said McClain was "flailing his arms around," but a friend of McClain's who spoke to the Sentinel Colorado (open in new tab) said he was probably dancing.

When police officers Nathan Woodard, Randy Lodema, and Jason Rosenblatt arrived on the scene, they twisted an unarmed McClain to the ground and applied a carotid hold to restrict blood flow to the brain, as the Sentinel report (opens in new tab) states. Paramedics were called and injected ketamine to "sedate" him. McClain suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital and died on August 30.

"I don't think the amount of force used on my son was justified," McClain's father, Lowayne Mosley, told Denver7 (open in new tab)." It should not have escalated from a suspicious phone call to the death of my son."

Bodycam footage was not released by the Aurora Police Department until November, and only an audio recording of McClain's arrest was taken, according to a Denver7 report (opens in new tab). Attorney Mari Newman, who represented the McClain family, suggested that the officers intentionally removed the camera, noting that in the recording one officer says, "Move the camera, dude."

In the video, McClain can be heard sobbing and begging the officer to stop. He says, "I can't breathe. I can't breathe. Here's my ID. My name is Elijah McClane. This is my home. I was just going home. I'm an introvert. I'm just different. That's all. I'm sorry. I don't have a gun. I don't do that kind of thing. I don't even fight. After throwing up, McClain apologized to the officer. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," he said. I just have trouble breathing."

The recording also captures an officer admitting that McClain did nothing illegal before he was arrested; as reported by the Sentinel (opens in new tab), another officer threatened him, saying, " If you keep screwing around, I'm going to bring your dog and I'm going to let him bite you, you understand?" The officers said McClain showed great force when he tried to arrest them, while one officer accused McClain of reaching for his gun in the filmed footage.

Woodard, Lodema, and Rosenblatt were placed on administrative leave after McClain's arrest, but have since been reinstated, the Sentinel reported (opens in new tab). District Attorney Dave Young announced in November that he would not press criminal charges against the officers or the medic who injected McClain with ketamine. In response, Newman, an attorney for the McClain family (opens in new tab), said, "If Aurora thinks this is proper policing, the community should be stunned"

.

In February, the city of Aurora hired former Connecticut State Police officer Eric Daigle to investigate McClain's death. Earlier this month, Mayor Jim Twombly announced that Daigle's contract has since been terminated. Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson recently announced (open in new tab) a ban on carotid detentions by police.

McClain's death at the hands of the police has garnered international attention in recent weeks, and a Change.org petition (opens in new tab) calling for officers Woodard, Lodema, and Rosenblatt to be removed from duty and a proper investigation has reached approximately 2.7 million signatures. New emails and phone calls to Aurora authorities, including Prosecutor Dave Young, have prompted Gov. Jared Polis to issue an official statement about the reopening (opens in new tab). Scroll down to see how you can advocate for justice for McClain.

Speaking to Denver7, McClain's mother, Shenine McClain, said she is distressed by his death. She said, "It's really hard for me to go outside because I just break down and cry a lot," she said, calling for laws to be passed to protect black people from police brutality. We need to rush to the Senate and those in need to get these bills passed so that equality becomes a reality and not just a fantasy."

"I thank God that he was my son. For his birth alone brought life into my world. I know that he gave life to others as well."

Sign the petition for justice for Elijah McClain.

Donate to a fundraiser organized by McClain's mother, Sheneen McClain, to seek justice and establish a foundation in his name.

Email the Aurora authorities using the template created by @justiceforelijahmcclain.

Call the Aurora authorities using the script created by @justiceforelijahmcclain.

Donate to the Colorado Freedom Fund.

Click here to donate to the National Bail Fund (opens in new tab).

Donate to Black Lives Matter here (opens in new tab).

Sign Black Lives Matter's #DefundThePolice petition.

Click here to donate to Movement for Black Lives, a coalition of national black organizations (opens in new tab).