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Aurora Police Department / Reuters
The images showed officers smiling as they recreated the stranglehold.
Three US police officers in Colorado were fired after they shared photos recreating a stranglehold used against a black man who later died.
Elijah McClain, 23, died in August last year after being detained by police.
Another officer resigned over the matter. A local police chief called the images “beyond comprehension.”
McClain’s case drew a renewed focus in the wake of the death of George Floyd, another unarmed African American who died in police custody.
The officers who were fired were named as Jason Rosenblatt, Erica Marrero, and Kyle Dittrich. The fourth, Jaron Jones, resigned Tuesday.
Vanessa Wilson, the acting police chief in the Aurora suburb of Denver, where the incident occurred, called the images a crime against humanity and decency.
“We are ashamed, we are sick and we are angry about what I have to share,” he said at a press conference.
“While the allegations in this internal affairs case are not criminal, they are a crime against humanity and decency. Even thinking about doing such a thing is beyond comprehension and is reprehensible.”
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One of the images shows ex-officers Dittrich and Jones imitating the neck grip, while Marrero smiles to his left.
Jason Rosenblatt received the photos by text message and replied “ha ha”.
Chief Wilson said she was unable to post the photos until she could share them with the McClain family. Her lawyer called the images “appalling.”
What happened to Elijah McClain?
McClain was walking in Aurora on August 24 of last year when he was stopped by three police officers.
A district attorney report later said there had been an emergency call about a “suspicious person” that matched her description.
There was a fight after McClain resisted contact with officers, who wanted to search him to see if he was armed, according to the report. In body camera images, Mr. McClain can be heard saying, “I am an introvert, respect the limits I am talking about.”
One of the officers then says “he is going for your gun”, and they push him to the ground and put him in a choke.
The report says McClain lost consciousness, was released from the choke, and began fighting again.
Officers called for help, with firefighters and an ambulance responding. A doctor injected Mr. McClain with ketamine to sedate him.
Mr. McClain was placed on “soft restraints” on a stretcher and inside the ambulance. The doctor who had administered the medication noted that Mr. McClain’s chest “was not rising on its own and had no pulse.” He was declared brain dead on August 27.
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Protesters marched in Denver to protest the death of Mr. McClain
McClain’s family alleges that officers used excessive force for about 15 minutes when McClain vomited, pleaded with them to stop, and repeatedly told them that he was unable to breathe. Officers also threatened to put a police dog on him, the family said.
A coroner’s autopsy determined that the cause of death was undetermined.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has appointed a special prosecutor to review the case. Earlier this month, Aurora police banned the choke used against McClain. The new rules also say officers must step in if they see a colleague using excessive force.
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