AURORA, Colo. — Nathan Woodyard, one of the Aurora Police officers involved in Elijah McClain’s death, resigned from the force after the city agreed to pay him more than $217,000 on top of the back pay already paid to him, 9NEWS has learned.
In all, the City of Aurora paid Woodyard $429,895.51 following his acquittal by a jury and his resignation from the police force.
The first payment – back pay to cover the time he was suspended from the force following his indictment in McClain’s death – came a week after an Adams County jury acquitted him of a charge of reckless manslaughter in November.
After being acquitted, Woodyard initially signaled his intention to return to the force, then resigned on Jan. 12, according to documents obtained by 9NEWS under state open records laws.
Megan Downing, an attorney for Woodyard, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The money paid to Woodyard came in three payments:
- Nov. 22 – $212,546.04 in back pay accrued while he was suspended;
- Jan. 19 – $200,000 for “backpay, accrued leave, and other consideration” – including an agreement not to pursue any claims against the city;
- Jan. 19 – $17,349.47 to cover the cost of one year of medical coverage.
Woodyard, who had joined the Aurora Police Department in fall 2016, was the first officer to confront McClain after a 911 caller reported the man was wearing a mask and seemed “sketchy.” At the time, McClain was walking home from a convenience store, carrying a plastic sack containing three ice teas, and listening to music on earphones.
Woodyard grabbed McClain – and he was quickly joined by two other officers, Randy Roedema, and Jason Rosenblatt. The three of them struggled to subdue McClain, and at one point Roedema called out that he had tried to grab Rosenblatt’s gun.
Rosenblatt attempted a carotid neck hold – designed to cut off oxygen to the brain – but was not successful. Then Woodyard tried, and he rendered McClain unconscious.
McClain, according to court testimony, suffered a cascading series of health problems after that: He vomited and inhaled some of it, and his body’s acid level shot up and oxygen level dropped.
Two paramedics then injected him with the sedative ketamine, and a short time later McClain’s heart stopped.
Although paramedics resuscitated him, he died three days later without ever regaining consciousness.
McClain’s death sparked a public outcry.
Initially cleared of criminal wrongdoing by then-Adams County District Attorney Dave Young, the case was reopened after Gov. Jared Polis appointed Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser as a special prosecutor.
A statewide grand jury indicted the three officers as well as paramedics Peter Cichuniec and Jeremy Cooper on a host of charges.
They were prosecuted in three separate trials. One jury found Roedema guilty of criminally negligent homicide and third-degree assault – but also acquitted Rosenblatt. A second jury acquitted Woodyard. A third jury found Cichuniec guilty of reckless manslaughter and second-degree assault and Cooper guilty of reckless manslaughter.
Judge Mark Werner sentenced Roedema to 14 months in the county jail and directed that he be eligible for work release. Sentencing for Cichuniec and Cooper is set for March 1.
Rosenblatt wasn’t able to return to the police force. He had been fired for his “ha ha” response to a photo taken by other officers mocking McClain’s death. Woodyard was eligible to get his job back.
He requested a return to work but never actually joined the force.
According to the separation agreement Woodyard signed, the city agreed to “provide a neutral employment reference upon request, provided the request is directed to Aurora’s Human Resources Department.” Woodyard agreed he would not sue the city or file any other claims against it.
The agreement was good until 4 p.m. Jan. 12. That day, Woodyard sent then-Interim Aurora Police Chief Art Acevedo a two-sentence resignation letter: “After considerable thought, I have made the difficult decision to resign from the Aurora Police Department and the City of Aurora effective today, January 12, 2024. Please accept this letter of resignation.”
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