Former Colorado paramedic Jeremy Cooper sentenced to probation and work release after conviction in death of Elijah McClain

Former Colorado paramedic Jeremy Cooper was sentenced Friday afternoon to four years of probation, 14 months of probation and 100 hours of community service. Cooper is one of two paramedics convicted of criminally negligent homicide in the death of Elijah McClain.

Adams County District Judge Mark Warner suspended Cooper’s sentence until June 7, which he said will give Cooper time to “make arrangements to continue his employment.”

Former Aurora Fire Department Paramedic Peter Cichuniec was sentenced last month to 5 years in prison last month, the minimum sentence and 3 years probation by the same judge, Adams County District Judge Mark Warner. He said the sentence and the example it might set were related to public safety, but he also said he didn’t think Cichuniec posed a risk to the public.

McClain was walking home in August 2019 when the 23-year-old Black man was confronted by police officers who forcibly restrained him, then paramedics from Aurora Fire Rescue. Jeremy Cooper and Cichuniec — injected him with ketamine.

He suffered a cardiac arrest in an ambulance minutes later and died three days later.

Both Cooper and Cichuniec were found guilty for criminally negligent homicide charges in December 2023.

Cichuniec was also convicted of second-degree assault and unlawful administration of drugs, a conviction that typically carries a sentence of 5 to 16 years in prison.

Three Aurora Police Department officers were tried in connection with McClain’s death. Last fall, two of the agents were acquitted in Elie’s death and a third was found guilty.

A jury found Randy Roedema guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault, while Jason Rosenblatt was found not guilty of manslaughter and assault in October 2023. the jury also found Nathan Woodyard not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the death of the 23-year-old young man.

In January, Roedema has been condemned to 14 months in prison accompanied by four years of probation. He has filed an appeal and asks the court to consider nine different aspects of the case.

The city of Aurora agreed in 2021 to pay $15 million to settle a civil lawsuit filed by McClain’s parents.