Aurora police plan to release new details Friday on the investigation into multiple officers who allegedly posed for photos at the site of Elijah McClain’s violent arrest last year.
Police will be conducting a 2 p.m. news conference at the Aurora Municipal Center, the department announced on its blog.
Interim police chief Vanessa Wilson on Monday acknowledged the internal investigation into the officers after CBS Denver reported that multiple officers posed for photos in which they pretended to use carotid chokeholds on each other near the 1900 block of Billings Street in Aurora, where McClain was stopped on Aug. 24. That same chokehold method was used by police on McClain, 23, before a paramedic injected him with a heavy sedative.
McClain, who was not accused of a crime, died in the hospital several days later.
The officers had been on paid administrative leave since June 25. One of those involved, Jaron Jones, resigned Thursday.
McClain’s death has turned into a national rallying cry against police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s death in an encounter with Minneapolis police five weeks ago. Last weekend, thousands rallied outside Aurora’s police headquarters and another demonstration is planned for Friday evening.
As protests mounted, Gov. Jared Polis, in an unprecedented move, appointed Attorney General Phil Weiser as special prosecutor to investigate the case and potentially bring charges against the officers.
Meanwhile, a coalition of federal authorities revealed this week that since last year they have been looking into whether there are grounds for a federal civil rights investigation.
And Aurora city leaders are deciding on a third-party investigator to delve into the officers’ actions last August.
The three officers who arrested McClain — Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt and Randy Roedema — were cleared of criminal wrongdoing and internal policy violations. They were taken off street duty last month for their own safety, a police spokesperson previously confirmed.
0
0
