*MSNBC anchor Geoff Bennett had to pause to collect himself Wednesday while reading the last words of Elijah McClain, whose killing in 2019 led to grand jury indictments handed down earlier in the day against police and paramedics in Aurora, Colo.
During a segment on “MSNBC Reports,” Bennett discussed McClain’s case with former federal prosecutor Paul Butler and criminal defense attorney David Henderson. He said police shouldn’t have stopped McClain at all, let alone pin him to the ground in a choke hold and deliver a powerful dose of ketamine.
“This kid was 5’6″ and weighed 140 pounds and they gave him enough sedative that you would give to someone who weighed 220 pounds,” Bennett said. “And his final words are haunting and tragic.”
Bennett began to choke up while reading McClain’s final words to officers and paramedics, reciting: “I can’t breathe. I have my ID right here. My name is Elijah McClain. That’s my house. I was just going home. I’m an introvert. I’m just different. That’s all. I’m so sorry. I have no gun. I don’t do that stuff. I don’t do any fighting. Why are you attacking me?”
After reading McClain’s words, a visibly teary Bennett asked both Butler and Henderson: “If Elijah McClain isn’t safe, who is?”
Watch below:
“His final words are haunting and tragic,” @GeoffRBennett says. “If Elijah McClain isn’t safe, who is?” pic.twitter.com/u40zd0M9gr
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) September 1, 2021
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