Please understand everyone, this story is not for the feint at heart. If none of the recent ones have broken you emotionally, this one might. So, what happened to Elijah McClain?
Last August officers received a call about a “suspicious man in a mask” however the caller also noted that “he wasn’t dangerous and no one was in danger”. Which begs the question, why even call? However once officers arrived on the scene they approached Elijah McClain, the 23 year old who was walking home from his local convenience store.
See Elijah wore a ski mask as he got cold very easily due to his medical conditions. The officers then detained him and tortured him for 15 minutes straight. Beating him, placing him in choke holds, and kicking him. Elijah even vomited once or twice during the beating. Once again, he was an unarmed, 23 year old black man weighing a total of 140 pounds.
Elijah was the epitome of harmless. The man even played violin for the cats at his local shelter. Yet he was savagely beaten. Once EMT’s arrived on scene, they injected him with Ketamine, WAY MORE than the avg dose for a man of his stature. Elijah then had 2 heart attacks as a result.
These heart attacks were what the autopsy said was the cause of death. Not the police brutality committed on a 23 year old unarmed man, who committed no crimes and had special conditions. Nor the medical malpractice of the EMT’s.
The Governor is now demanding a re-investigation into the case as it was swept under the rug, no charges were given, and until recently no one even knew. Elijah’s last words are what broke me and forced tears from my face. If you cannot handle them, do not be ashamed, skip to the end of the article and sign the linked petition. If you can continue reading, then please do, they are as follows.
Elijah’s Final words
If you got through his last words, then you must be emotional. How can police kill and torture a man like Elijah. Elijah is the best of us. He does not kill bugs, he doesn’t eat meat, he doesn’t judge, HE SEEMINGLY FORGAVE THEM EVEN AS THEY TOOK HIS LIFE! Even going so far as to compliment them the entire time. I can’t stand this. I cannot write anymore, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION BELOW. WE DEMAND JUSTICE!
Sign from the blkthought website here.
Sign directly on change.org here.