Second Police Officer Acquitted in Elijah McClain's Death: Jury Finds No Guilt

A second Colorado police officer, Nathan Woodyard, has been acquitted in the 2019 death of Elijah McClain, a young unarmed Black man. The jury found Woodyard not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. McClain was stopped by Woodyard after a 911 caller described him as "sketchy." Woodyard quickly placed his hands on McClain and later used a neck restraint, rendering him briefly unconscious. Paramedics then injected McClain with ketamine, and he died in the hospital days later. This verdict follows a split decision in an earlier trial involving officers in the same encounter. McClain's death has been central to debates about police brutality and race.