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Officer acquitted in Elijah McClain’s death resigns from Aurora Police Department

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Officer acquitted in Elijah McClain’s death resigns from Aurora Police Department


An Aurora police officer acquitted in the death of Elijah McClain resigned from the department Friday.

Nathan Woodyard, 34, who put the 23-year-old McClain in a neck hold during the violent 2019 arrest, was found not guilty in November of criminally negligent homicide and reckless manslaughter in McClain’s death.

After the verdict, Woodyard requested to rejoin the police department and was owed $212,546 in back pay. He’d been suspended without pay since September 2021, when he was indicted on the criminal charges.

He could have returned to the department after completing a reintegration process, city spokesman Ryan Luby said in November. Instead, he resigned on Friday, Luby confirmed.

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McClain was walking home from a gas station — wearing a black ski mask as he often did, and dancing to music — on Aug. 24, 2019, when someone called 911 to report him as a suspicious person.

The responding officers detained McClain, violently forced him to the ground and handcuffed him before paramedics injected McClain with the sedative ketamine. Woodyard used a neck hold on McClain, who had committed no crime. The 23-year-old suffered cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital, where he was later declared brain dead. He died Aug. 30, 2019.

With Woodyard’s resignation, none of the three officers charged in McClain’s death will be returning to work at the Aurora Police Department.

Officer Jason Rosenblatt, who was also acquitted of criminal charges, was fired before the jury trials for responding “ha ha” in a text to a photo of three officers reenacting the choke hold on McClain. Officer Randy Roedema was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and assault in McClain’s death, and was fired after the verdict. He was sentenced to 14 months in jail.

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Denver rally shows divided feelings over U.S.-Israel action against Iran

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Denver rally shows divided feelings over U.S.-Israel action against Iran


DENVER — More than 24 hours after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, Coloradans are continuing to express their feelings about what the attack means not only for the world, but here in our state.

For the second straight day, Coloradans expressed their opinions on the steps of the state Capitol about the attack by the US and Israel on Iran.

But instead of anger, as was the case on Saturday, the tone on Sunday was more cheerful.

“Today it’s a celebration about like getting our freedom back, and we would love to have people to be happy with us,” said Forzun Yalme, who helped organize the event with Free Iran Colorado.

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For some Iranian-Americans, the news of the attack brings a new sense of hope that freedom is near.

“For me to be Iranian-American, in 47 years here, I learned about democracy and human rights and what I like,” detailed Amir Tosh, another member of Free Iran Colorado. “I want to transfer what your values are for democracy, human rights, freedom to my country, my motherland.”

Denver rally shows divided feelings over U.S.-Israel action against Iran

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“My uncle and grandma, grandparents, they were all so happy about what happened, because we can, like, now feel the freedom,” explained Yalme.

But some Iranian-Americans are more cautious.

Colorado’s only Iranian-American state representative, Yara Zokaie, doubts the operation will have a significant impact to Iran’s leadership.

“I’m sympathetic to people who want regime change by any means necessary, but I think we also need to stop and realize what this actually means,” said Zokaie. “Regime change is not something that can happen in one airstrike.”

Zokaie admits she herself was elated to hear Iran’s supreme leader and other top officials were killed in the attack.

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But she hopes Coloradans remember the innocent people who have already been killed and those who are more likely to come.

“I ask that we remember the humanity of people in the Middle East as this news unfolds. I ask that we call for a peaceful resolution that we empower Iranian people who will bring change from within, and that we call for no war with Iran,” said Zokaie.

Several people at today’s event at the Capitol approached our Denver7 team. They shared their gratitude for President Donald Trump, the US military, and the Israelis for their action in helping bring freedom to Iran.

They hope others will see that as well. They plan on being here for the next hour and a half or so.





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Police searching for information after fatal assault in Denver

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Police searching for information after fatal assault in Denver


Denver police are looking for information that could help them identify the suspect in a fatal assault overnight.

Officers were called to the scene in the 9700 block of E. Hampden Avenue around 2:08 a.m. They said an injured man at the scene was taken to a hospital for treatment, but he has been pronounced deceased.

DPD says they’re investigating the case as a homicide. They did not provide the identity of the man who was killed or further details on the case.

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Police encouraged anyone with information about the attack or the possible suspect(s) involved to contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.



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