Earlier conviction of the paramedic involved in Elijah McClain's case has been overturned, and they are now sentenced to probation instead of serving a 5-year prison term.
Judge Mark Warner announced the dismissal of Peter Cichuniec's prison term during a brief session on Friday, following Cichuniec's request in June for a reduced sentence due to "odd" and "extraordinary" circumstances in his case, according to the Denver Post.
The Colorado Attorney General's Office, which handled this case alongside several others linked to Elijah McClain's passing, expressed their dissatisfaction with the verdict.
In a statement, they noted, "After examining the evidence, a statewide grand jury charged Cichuniec, and a jury found him guilty of the crimes responsible for Elijah McClain's demise. We are disappointed that the court reduced his sentence today, but we uphold the court's authority."
Cichuniec was released from prison on Friday, as reported by the Colorado Department of Corrections.
CNN attempted to contact Cichuniec's legal team for comment. Sheneen McClain, Elijah's mother, chose not to respond to the decision.
The charges stemmed from Elijah McClain's arrest in Aurora on August 24, 2019, following a report of a "suspicious" person wearing a ski mask. McClain, a massage therapist, musician, and animal lover, was walking home from a convenience store with a bag containing iced tea at the time.
A distressing encounter captured on body-camera footage showed police forcing McClain to the ground and placing him in a chokehold, cutting off blood flow to his brain and rendering him unconscious. Paramedics arrived on the scene and administered a dose of ketamine appropriate for a 200-pound individual, despite McClain weighing only 143 pounds. This situation led to McClean suffering a heart attack en route to the hospital and his eventual death three days later.
During the trial, both paramedics admitted to administering an excessive amount of ketamine to McClain due to an incorrect weight estimation. Moreover, Cichuniec testified he administered the 500-milligram dosage without obtaining McClain's height or weight information, claiming he was experiencing "agitated delirium," a controversial diagnosis often used to describe violent agitation in individuals under police detention or restraint. This diagnosis fails to gain recognition from major medical associations, such as the American Medical Association.
At his sentencing in March, Cichuniec cried and pleaded for the court's compassion, stating, "I understand this may not sound fair because Miss McClain won't have the chance to be with Elijah, but I implore you, judge, to grant me the chance to return to my family and provide for them."
Before the sentencing, McClain's mother voiced her "righteous fury" towards those responsible for her son's premature death and called for justice on his behalf.
CNN’s Emma Tucker, Eric Levenson and Raja Razek contributed to this report.
Despite the court's decision to reduce Peter Cichuniec's sentence, we, as the Colorado Attorney General's Office, stand by the authority of the court. However, we remain disappointed as Cichuniec was part of the team involved in the events that led to the unfortunate demise of Elijah McClain, one of us.
Following the dismissal of Cichuniec's prison term, it's crucial that we, as a community, continue to remember and honor the life and legacy of Elijah McClain, a massage therapist, musician, and animal lover.
