Statement from Attorney General Phil Weiser on the paramedic sentencing for the Elijah McClain death case

March 1, 2024 (DENVER)—Attorney General Phil Weiser released the following statement regarding the court sentencing Peter Cichuniec to five years in state prison for the death of Elijah McClain:

“Emergency medical professionals serve honorably every day and save lives. In this case, Mr. Cichuniec disregarded his training and ordered Elijah McClain to receive a deadly dose of a powerful sedative while he was restrained and motionless on the ground, which killed him. A jury found the defendant guilty of criminally negligent homicide and second-degree assault.

No action will bring Elijah back or take away the pain and loss that his mother, Sheneen McClain, continues to experience. But today’s sentence from the court is one of accountability for the defendant’s criminal negligence in the death of Elijah McClain. It sends a strong message that no profession, whether a paramedic, a nurse, a police officer, an elected official, or a CEO should be immune from criminal prosecution for actions that violate the law and harm people.”

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