Dear friend,
Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man in Aurora, Colorado, was murdered at the hands of police almost a year ago and still no justice.
On August 24, 2019, three white police officers stopped Elijah while he was walking home from a convenience store -- after a 911 caller reportedly described Elijah as a “suspicious person.” 2 The details that led to Elijah’s death are horrific. The officers can be heard on bodycam video threatening to bring their dog to bite Elijah and even accusing Elijah of provoking arrest. Minutes later, officers then put Elijah in a deadly chokehold, causing him to go unconscious.3 Paramedics rushed to the scene only for Elijah to later suffer from a heart attack; he was declared brain dead three days later.4
That’s why we must call on Attorney General Phil Weiser to stand up for what is right and file criminal charges against the officers who murdered Elijah McClain. He has the power to ensure these officers are not free to roam the streets while Elijah's family is forced to mourn the loss of their loved one.
Here's the truth : officers Nathan Woodyard, Jason Rosenblatt, and Randy Roedema are responsible for Elijah's death. But the police-led autopsy report suggests the cause of Elijah's death was unclear even though the coroner listed intense physical exertion as one of the contributing factors that sent Elijah into heart failure.5 To make matters worse, the police review board defended the police officers saying, “ the force applied during the altercation… was within policy and consistent with training.” 6 The officers were placed on administrative leave but later put back on the force because prosecutors declined to file charges. There's no denying the Aurora County police officers and District Attorney Dave Young have delayed justice for Elijah at every turn. As we've seen in the countless number of police-involved shootings that have resulted in Black people being killed, police are rarely held accountable for the violence and harm they inflict on Black people.
If the police had simply allowed Elijah to walk home, he would still be alive today. Elijah's murder is yet another example of what we already know -- the police do not keep our communities safe. Just yesterday, members of Elijah's community held a peaceful vigil, march, and rally where they honored Elijah's life by observing a few violinists perform and holding hands. But in a widely circulated video, police disrupted the event wearing riot gear -- they deployed pepper spray and were physically violent toward attendees. Our communities aren't even safe to mourn and honor the lives lost to police violence.7 We can't sit by while Black people are being killed needlessly in the street by these violent police officers -- now more than ever they must know that enough is enough.
Dear friend, we know that when we continually call out these atrocities against our communities, it becomes impossible to ignore.We've seen this happen after more than 43,000 Color Of Change members called for #JusticeforBre and more than 300,000 members #RanwithAhmaud. As a result, charges against Bre’s boyfriend were dropped, and the three men who murdered Ahmaud have been charged. And we know the same thing can happen for Elijah McClain.
Until justice is real,
Scott, Rashad, Arisha, Erika, Malachi, Marybeth, Madison, Leonard, Ernie and the rest of the Color Of Change team.
References :
- "3 Officers Fired Over Photos Taken Near Elijah McClain Memorial." The New York Times. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/255376?t=7&akid=43968%2E1942551%2EwEXYUU
- "What We Know About the Killing of Elijah McClain." The Cut. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/255236?t=9&akid=43968%2E1942551%2EwEXYUU
- Ibid.
- Ibid.
- "What We Know About the Killing of Elijah McClain." The Cut. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/255236?t=11&akid=43968%2E1942551%2EwEXYUU.
- Ibid.
- "Cops in Riot Gear Stormed a Violin Vigil for Elijah McClain." The Cut. https://act.colorofchange.org/go/255238?t=13&akid=43968%2E1942551%2EwEXYUU
After weeks of protests and demands for justice -- STILL, NO ARRESTS OR CHARGES have been made against the officers who murdered Elijah McClain.
To make matters worse, three Aurora County police officers were fired this past Friday after taking selfies that were mocking a memorial established in Elijah's honor. One of the officers responsible for Elijah's death, Jason Rosenblatt, even sent a text in support of this cruel joke, responding "haha" to the officers who took the selfies. And even though he was also fired for his participation, it's not nearly enough.1
The callousness and depravity exhibited by these officers are not unique. Aurora County police department only fired these officers to save face politically -- they have deliberately delayed holding the officers who murdered Elijah accountable for almost a year now. Simply firing these officers for mocking this young Black man's death does not get Elijah's family the justice they deserve. The type of dehumanizing behavior displayed is eerily similar to that of a lynching and in no way should it be tolerated in today's police force. Nevertheless, all across the country, we continue to see police departments and police unions fight against any form of accountability or reform.
But dear friend, over 100,000 people have already signed the petition demanding justice for Elijah -- we are not going to stop fighting. Time is of the essence. Elijah's family shouldn't be forced to mourn the loss of their loved one while these officers sit at home and relax with their families. Our communities will no longer tolerate this level of depravity shown by police officers -- we must make our demands clear.
Until Justice is Real,
Scott and the rest of the Color of Change Team.
ColorOfChange is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change.
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