The death of Elijah McClain—reflections on living with autism while Black

Elijah McClain died at age 23 after walking home from a convenience store.

July 15, 2020 – by Andrew W. Kiragu, MD, FAAP, FCCM

McClain Family/MGNElijah McClain died after police put him in a chokehold and a medic injected him with ketamine, Denver, Colorado

Last August, a 23-year-old young man, Elijah McClain, was walking home from a convenience store close to his home in Aurora, Colorado. He had just purchased some iced tea for his brother. He was wearing a ski mask as he often did to keep his face warm because of an underlying blood condition.

A resident called the police because they thought he was acting suspiciously. He had not committed any crime and was doing nothing illegal. The police arrived and confronted him. A struggle ensued during which he was placed in a chokehold. …

Source: The death of Elijah McClain—reflections on living with autism while Black

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