Elijah McClain: Petition demanding justice for death of young black man detained by police reaches 2 million signatures

'Demand these officers are taken off duty, and that a more in-depth investigation is held', page reads

A supporter holds up a shirt to call attention to the death of Elijah McClain in August 2019 in Aurora, Colorado during a news conference on the steps of the State Capitol (AP)

An online petition demanding Justice for Elijah McClain, a young black man who died last year after being detained by Colorado police, has reached more than two million signatures.

“Sign this petition to bring justice for Elijah. Demand these officers are taken off duty, and that a more in-depth investigation is held,” the Change.org petition reads.

The 23-year-old died three days after he was put in a chokehold and then later sedated while being detained by police, The Sentinel Colorado reported.

On 24 August 2019 a man called 911 to report a “sketchy” looking man wearing a ski mask waving his arms around at approximately 10.40pm, the outlet reported. The man who called police reportedly told officers that he did not feel that he was in any danger.

The young man was said to have been walking home from a store to get bottled tea for a family member when he was confronted by officers, Denver7 reported.

Colorado police approached McClain to question him and a struggle quicky ensued, reports said. An officer alleged that during the conflict the 23-year-old attempted to grab one of their holstered guns, The Sentinel reported.

His family later told Denver7 that McClain would wear an open-face ski mask because he “had anaemia and would sometimes get cold” and was wearing earphones.

He was not armed or suspected of committing a crime when he was stopped and later pinned to a nearby lawn, where he reportedly proceeded to repeatedly vomit and sob while handcuffed.

At one point during the incident, an officer told McClain: “If you keep messing around, I’m going to bring my dog out and he’s going to dog bite you”, a comment which Police Chief Nick Metz later called “unprofessional”.

When fire paramedics arrived, the young man was injected with 500 milligrams of ketamine to sedate him, a move that Aurora Fire concluded was appropriate based on the circumstances of the emergency scene, Aurora Fire Rescue Deputy Chief Stephen McInerny said.

The Adam’s County Coroner’s Office could not determine the exact cause of McClain’s death, reports said.

According to The Sentinel, the three officers who were involved were placed on administrative leave, but have since been reinstated to their regular positions.

In November, District Attorney Dave Young announced that no criminal charges would be brought against the officers or medics involved in the arrest.

“It should not have escalated from a suspicious call to my son dying,” Lawayne Mosley, McClain’s father told Denver7 at the time of his son’s death.

The renewed attention on the case comes in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, a black man who died while in Minneapolis custody after a white police officer pinned him to the ground by his neck for a prolonged period of time.

The unnecessary death of Floyd and other black Americans such as Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor at the hands of law enforcement has sparked national civil unrest across the US and the world, with massive demonstrations taking place protesting police brutality against black Americans, systemic racism and racial discrimination.

The new petition seeks to gather three million signatures to demand justice for McClain. Prosecutor Young has recently said he does not intend to re-examine the case, The Sentinel reported.

The newspaper also said that the city’s public safety committee has requested a “neutral, independent” review of the encounter, which officials have said is “forthcoming”.