On August 24, 2019, Elijah McClain was stopped by police in Aurora, CO as a result of a 911 call of suspicious activity from someone walking around in a ski mask.
McClain was on his way home, listening to music, when the altercation took place. He was put in a chokehold where he lost consciousness. According to the police report, he was administered ketamine to sedate him and on the way to the hospital, he suffered a heart attack and wad declared dead.
Elijah McClain: Aurora police officers will not face criminal charges in man's altercation, deathYouTube
This happened 10 months ago. But just a few months ago, a petition was created to open up McClain's case again.
In the video, McClain tells officers that he is an introvert and asks them to respect his boundaries. What is obvious from social media posts about him, he was an innocent man who doesn't seem like a threat at all.
Elijah McClain should be alive. The 23-year-old was walking home from a convenience store in Aurora, CO when polic… https://t.co/VdU3sLi77q— Keith Boykin (@Keith Boykin) 1593011880.0
McClain even spent some of his time playing the violin for kittens.
#ElijahMcClain playing the violin for kittens in the pet shop next door on his lunch break. That’s the kind of pers… https://t.co/cHepli4Fwg— Amber Lotus (@Amber Lotus) 1567313916.0
McClain died because of implicit racism that ended up in the cops being called on him because he was Black and had a ski mask on.
It is an unacceptable reality in America and the exact reason why Black Lives Matter marches are still happening today. However, there are a few ways to help get justice for the death of Elijah McClain. The Instagram account @justiceforelijahmcclain has a lot of great resources to help you get started.
Sign the petition to demand justice for Elijah McClain
Right now, there is a petition to reopen the investigation into his death so that a more in-depth investigation can be held. It is also a petition to demand the officers responsible are taken off duty, as they are still working for the Aurora Police Department.
You can sign the petition here.
Donate to Elijah's mom's GoFundMe fundraiser
Sheneen McClain currently has a fundraiser going. You can donate to it here.
Call Colorado State Officials and Council Members and demand justice be served
These are the numbers to call:
State Officials:
1. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis
303-866-2471
2. Mayor of Aurora Mike Coffman
303-659-7720
3. District Attorney Chief Judge Emily E. Anderson
303-739-6014
4. Aurora City Attorney Daniel L. Brotzman
303-870-9078
Council Members:
1. Crystal Murillo
303-739-7502
2. Nicole Johnston
303-7397506
3. Marsha Berzins
303-739-7508
4. Alison Coombs
720-505-3332
5. Juan Marcano
720-634-6927
6. Francoise Bergan
720-465-1830
7. Curtis Gardner
720-505-4312
8. Dave Gruber
303-739-7514
9. Allison Hiltz
720-767-2685
10. Angela Lawson
720-244-6932
Tag State Officials, Council Members, and relevant hashtags on social media
Some good accounts to tag in any posts related to Elijah McClain are:
@GovofCO
@JaredPolis
@RepMikeCoffman
@AuroraGov
@ProgressNowCO
@BlkLivesMatter
@AuroraFireDpt
@CurtisGardnerforAurora
And some important hashtags to include are:
#JusticeforElijahMcClain
#AuroraPoliceDepartment
#SayHisName
#BlackLivesMatter
The Justice for Elijah McClain Instagram account is updating their posts to reflect local events that are happening to spread McClain's story and help push for all these efforts above to be met by more people.
What has happened to Elijah McClain is the same story that has happened to people like George Floyd, Eric Garner, and Breonna Taylor. It is unacceptable. But the only way to really help make a change is to talk about it and to use whatever resources we have available to spread the unfortunate story and help ignite systemic change that will stop things like this from happening again.
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