Colorado’s governor has appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the death of Elijah McClain, a Black man put into a chokehold by suburban Denver police last year.
Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order Thursday directing the state attorney general to investigate the death of the 23-year-old and possibly prosecute those involved.
McClain’s name has become a rallying cry during the national reckoning over racism and police brutality.
Last August, Aurora police received a call about a suspicious person walking down a street. They say McClain fought back when officers confronted him.
An officer used a chokehold that cuts off blood to the brain, and paramedics gave him a medication to calm him down.
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