A Colorado paramedic is facing a manslaughter charge after he sedated and restrained a handcuffed man who later went into cardiac arrest and died.
Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty announced the charges against Edward McClure on Friday, saying the paramedic’s “reckless acts” led to the “untimely and tragic death” of 36-year-old Jesus Lopez Barcenas. The charges came out of Dougherty’s use of force investigation after Barcenas’ arrest on Dec. 27. Barcenas died two days later.
The incident unfolded around 8:15 a.m. on that late December day, when Boulder police responded to a suspicious person call on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder, prosecutors wrote in a synopsis of events. When cops arrived on the scene, Barcenas allegedly ignored their questions and refused to sit down, saying a nearby building was on fire. Officers tried to put Barcenas into handcuffs but he allegedly resisted and started to grab one of their guns. A struggle ensued, but eventually cops were able to handcuff him…