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Anesthesiologist Testifies In Elijah McClain Case
The trial of the two paramedics who injected Elijah McClain with ketamine in 2019 continued yesterday. An anesthesiologist testified saying the administration of ketamine was unnecessary.
McClain was walking home from a convenience store when someone called Aurora Police, saying he looked “sketchy.” Three police officers restrained McClain, and two paramedics – Jeremy Cooper and Lieutenant Peter Cichnuiec – injected him with the sedative ketamine. He died in the hospital three days later.
The paramedics now face charges of reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.
Anesthesiologist Dr. Damon Robinson says proper protocol guides paramedics to check a person’s vital signs before administering ketamine, but the paramedics failed to do so. He says the only question they asked was “Does he speak English?” and didn’t ask his weight or check his pulse, based on body camera footage.
He says the paramedics proceeded to inject the 23-year old with a 500 milligram dose of the sedative – double the amount of ketamine for a person his size.
The trial for the paramedics is the last trial in the death of Elijah McClain. It’s scheduled to continue for a couple weeks, according to CBS Colorado.
Previously, the three officers on the scene that night were tried separately, with two indicted and one acquitted of all charges.
Boulder Opens Day Shelter
Boulder has announced the opening of a homeless day service at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, located on Broadway.
According to the Daily Camera, the city has not given a clear direction for the shelter, but it is likely that they’ll offer restrooms, showers, laundry and meal services.
The city will partner with several third parties, such as the Focused Reentry program, which offers mental and physical help.
The current shelter is not active during the day, except for days with extreme weather conditions.
The city expects to have the day shelter operational later this winter.
CPW Sued By Cattlemen’s Association
Gray wolves are to be reintroduced to Colorado by December 31 – but livestock associations are trying to push that date back.
The Colorado Cattlemen’s and Gunnison County Stockgrowers’ Association are suing Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, for allegedly failing to consider the environmental impacts of reintroducing gray wolves.
The plaintiffs say the two agencies are legally required to conduct an environmental impact study before following through with the reintroduction, and are seeking a federal halt to the initiative until the wildlife groups complete a proper assessment. They’re also arguing that the reintroduction threatens humans, pets, and livestock.
Voters agreed to the reintroduction timeline back in 2020. The initiative mandates the reintroduction of 10 wolves this winter, with an expected 50 more over the next five years.
The lawsuit is ongoing but Colorado Cattlemen’s Association is hoping to get a favorable verdict before December 31.
Immigrant Levels Increase As The Cold Creeps In
Immigrant shelters in Denver are seeing more and more people enter their doors, as temperatures continue to grow frigid. According to the Denver Gazette, immigrant shelters are housing more than 3,100 people, with about 1,200 of them being children.
Due to cold weather conditions, city officials have decided to disregard the rules that determine the amount of time people can stay in the shelters. City rules state that adults traveling alone can stay at the shelter for two weeks while those with children can stay for 37 days.
Now, those time limits are paused and people can stay in the shelter for as long as they need.
The pause will only last a couple weeks, according to Jon Ewing, a Denver Human Services spokesperson. He says there’s only so much money the city can put towards immigrant shelters.
The Denver Gazette reports that Denver has received close to 31,000 immigrants, as of Monday.
Children’s Hospital Cuts Employee Benefits
Children’s Hospital Colorado announced that they’ll no longer pay employee’s full tuition for certain health care degrees.
Now, the hospital will pay up to $5,250 a year for tuition, but many employees say this is not enough money to cover their yearly fees.
Children’s partnered with a third party to cover some degree programs, but nurses told The Denver Post that the hospital didn’t choose affordable ones. Now, they’re left with extra financial burdens.
One nurse told the Post that the hospital gave them a one-month’s notice that they would no longer pay for their schooling. She says a lot of nurses don’t have the money to pay for their next semester of school and are too far along in their degrees to transfer to a more affordable program.
Employees have also voiced disappointment because they have to pay taxes for this year’s tuition, a fact that they say Children’s didn’t disclose to them.
