Elijah McClain's Case Brings Up Examination Of Controversial 'Excited Delirium' Condition
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) - The death of Aurora's Elijah McClain is among many being examined for a syndrome being cited by police and paramedics in some suspects' in-custody deaths. A 2018 review of studies and articles found excited delirium was associated with more than 10% of deaths in police custody.
John Dickerson and 60 Minutes investigate the controversy on Sunday after CBS4 News at 5.
The American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association don't recognize the condition. Dr. Paul Appelbaum oversees changes to a diagnostic manual used by psychiatry professionals.
"Excited Delirium is a perplexing term," Appelbaum said. It doesn't correspond to any discreet reality out there in the world."
In a report by Appelbaum, he says the condition is based on bad science. Adams County District Attorney Dave Young was interviewed in the report.
He says McClain may have died from several possible causes, according to an autopsy, including excited delirium which contributed to his belief he could not win a homicide case against the officers who restrained McClain.
McClain was walking home from a convenience store wearing a face maskin August of 2019. Someone called police to report a suspicious person.
After a confrontation with police, McClain was placed in a chokehold, and tackled to the ground. Eventually he was given ketamine, a sedative, by an Aurora Fire Department paramedic. He died a few days later.
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