COLORADO – The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is reviewing a state rule that allows EMTs and paramedics to administer Ketamine. CDPHE announced Saturday that it plans to examine the safety of allowing the drug to be used by EMS personnel.
A waiver program currently in place in Colorado allows paramedics to administer the sedative in cases of extreme agitation. In fact, Ketamine has been used over 900-times in the past three years. The review is expected to last at least three months.
Today marks the one-year anniversary of the arrest that led to the death of Elijah McClain in Aurora. McClain was walking home on August 24th, of last year when he was stopped by the Aurora police after someone reported a person acting suspiciously. McClain became unresponsive after officers struggled with him. He was given Ketamine after he was placed in an ambulance and he stopped breathing shortly after. The 23-year old died just days later.
