An Aurora, Colorado police officer, who is involved in the investigation of inappropriate photos taken near the site of Elijah McClain’s death, has offered to resign.
The police department announced on Twitter on Thursday that Officer Jaron Jones “submitted his resignation.” Jones had been with the department since October 2016.
“Jones was one of the employees involved and represented in the #ElijahMcClain-related photography research. We will continue to update the developments as we go along,” the tweet read.
Jones and several Aurora Police Department officers were placed on paid vacation after the allegations were reported to internal affairs last week.
Acting Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson did not provide details on the images and did not say where they were taken.
“I immediately ordered Internal Affairs to make this investigation its top priority,” Wilson said in a statement. “This expedited investigation was completed tonight.”
Wilson said the investigation, which included reports and photographic evidence, “will be released publicly in its entirety immediately after its conclusion.”
McClain, a 23-year-old black man, was arrested by police last August after someone reported seeing a suspicious person wearing a mask. Officers drowned him and McClain suffered cardiac arrest. He died in the hospital after he was removed from life support.
The three officers involved in his death were transferred to “non-compliance” tasks.
The video shows that McClain, wearing a ski mask, had bought iced tea at a convenience store and was walking down the street when officers stopped him. He heard in the video that he told them he was an introvert and that he was heading home.
McClain’s family said she often wore a ski mask when she was cold.
A confrontation ensues when officers appear to carry McClain to the ground. He is heard on the video telling the police that “he cannot breathe properly.”
He suffered cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital after paramedics administered a sedative to calm him. McClain’s death was due to “undetermined causes,” said a coroner.
The coroner did not rule out whether police control, in addition to the sedative, could have contributed to the death.
Police said in a statement at the time that “the man would not stop walking down the officer’s street” and “resisted contact, a fight ensued and he was arrested.”
His death has sparked protests, and in June Governor Jared Polis appointed a special prosecutor to investigate his death.
