"Paramedic Receives 5-Year Prison Sentence for Elijah McClain's Death"

A Colorado paramedic, Peter Cichuniec, has been sentenced to five years in prison for the death of Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black massage therapist, in 2019. Cichuniec and a fellow paramedic were convicted of criminally negligent homicide for administering a fatal sedative to McClain. The case has sparked debate over the accountability of medical responders in police custody situations, with McClain's mother expressing her disappointment in the paramedics' actions. The sentencing has raised concerns among paramedics and their union, who argue that it could discourage people from becoming paramedics and impact patient care.