Trial of two Denver officers in killing of Elijah McClain set to open

Trial is first of several stemming from 2019 death of Black man put in neck hold and injected with powerful sedative

The trial of two suburban Denver police officers was set to open on Wednesday in the killing of Elijah McClain, a Black man put in a neck hold and injected with a powerful sedative whose 2019 death later became a rallying cry for nationwide protests and spurred police reform in Colorado.

It's the first of several trials stemming from the death of McClain, and lawyers for the two sides are expected to paint contrasting pictures of the deadly struggle between the officers and the 23-year-old massage therapist. McClain was stopped by police in the city of Aurora while walking home from a convenience store carrying only a plastic bag and his phone.