Trial begins to determine if Colorado officers are guilty of manslaughter in death of Elijah McClain case

A Colorado jury will determine if officers Randy Roedema and Jason Rosenblatt are guilty of manslaughter in the case involving the death of Elijah McClain in 2019.

But moments later, police stopped him and after struggling with him, put the 23-year-old in a neck hold. Then paramedics gave him a sedative that officials eventually determined played a key role in his death days later. McClain, a massage therapist known for his gentle nature, was unarmed and hadn't committed any crime.

Four years after his death — which left a gaping hole in his mother's heart and sparked outrage over racial injustice in American policing — a trial for two of the officers was set to begin Friday with jury selection. Trials for a third officer and two paramedics are scheduled to start later this year.