Paramedic in Elijah McClain case sentenced to probation, work release | News [Video]

Nearly five years after the death of Elijah McClain in Aurora, the final responder prosecuted in the 23-year-old’s death was sentenced Friday, putting a symbolic end — pending appeals — to the multitude of trials and legal proceedings.

Adams County District Judge Mark Warner sentenced Jeremy Cooper, a former Aurora Fire Rescue paramedic, to 14 months in a work release program, four years of probation and 100 hours of public service.

A jury had convicted him of criminally negligent homicide, though Cooper and another paramedic were found not guilty of manslaughter, the most serious of the charges, and of second-degree assault causing serious bodily injury. 

“I wish I wasn’t standing here talking up to you, cause that would mean you were here,” Cooper said during the two-hour sentence hearing on Friday, aiming his head toward the sky, his words meant for Elijah McClain.

Sheneen McClain, Elijah’s mother, barged out of …