In 2020 the Black Lives Matter movement sky-rocketed through social media’s streamlining of countless acts of police brutality. George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are among a few that tend to stick out as the turning point for the movement as they circulated the media, garnering endless support for the cause. Police brutality is an extreme form of police misconduct in the form of human rights violations, which includes racial abuse, beatings, and unjust killings. Though the movement has since died down some, we are reminded of it everyday as more and more racial discrimination occurs with little to no consequences. Fair and just consequence is the first step towards the end of police brutality because it introduces justice on behalf of the black community and begins to bridge the gap between the black/POC community and everyone else. Ongoing justice is what fuels the hope within a movement because it is an achievement of the movement, proving that protests, marches, rallies, etc. can help voices be heard, and encourages communities to continue their fight.
Justice came into fruition at the end of 2023 with a trial surrounding Elijah McClain’s brutal murder at the hand of law officials in Colorado. Elijah McClain was a young black man who fell victim to police brutality in August 2019 when officers stopped him due to a suspicious person complaint. The complaint came from a 17 year old who had called because McClain was wearing a hoodie and waving his arms as he walked. Later, it was discovered that he was wearing earbuds, listening to music on his way home from a convenience store nearby. McClain was startled when the officer approached and put his hands on him without warning. Officers claim he then reached for their gun, which led them to put him in a chokehold that ended with McClain temporarily unconscious. Later, the paramedics arrived and gave him a lethal dose of ketamine which, ultimately, led to his death in the hospital three days later. Initially, prosecutors decided against any charges for his death, but the resurgence of BLM in 2020 brought Governor Jared Polis to direct the attorney general to re-investigate the case, which led to the indictment of the three officers and two paramedics in 2021. The trial was conducted beginning October 2023 and was split into three trials that came to a close in late December 2023.
The first trial, consisting of the two officers who didn’t put McClain in a chokehold, ended with a split decision. One was found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third degree assault, while the other was acquitted. In the second trial, Officer Woodyard was charged for reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. Though he was the officer who put MccLin in a chokehold, the trial ended with his acquittal. The third trial, consisting of the two paramedics, both were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide and one was also found guilty of second degree assault.
I’m not here to discuss the case in depth, however, I’m sure there is more literature to be found about the trials specifically if you are interested. Rather, I want to point out the involvement of BLM and black protest in the resurgence of this case. It is disheartening to see cases like these go unpunished, which unfortunately happens far too often. Especially before 2020, as was Elijah McClains case, police brutality was consistently ignored and disregarded as ‘accidents’ or ‘inconclusive’ to get out of an investigation. When officials look the other way when faced with police brutality, it almost encourages officers to commit these acts by showing that there is no punishment for it. The resurgence of this case is a huge stepping stone for BLM because it proves that voices are being heard. This trial sets a precedent of justice for future police brutality and encourages accountability to be held for all officials, whether they are found guilty or not. Hopefully, justice will continue to be served through thorough and fair investigation of all cases and that the BLM movement will continue to speak up and demand to be heard.
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