Joint Statement of the Colorado U.S. Attorney's Office, Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, and the Denver Division of the FBI Regarding the Death of Elijah McClain

DENVER – The following statement has been issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, and the Denver Division of the FBI:

“The standard practice of the Department of Justice is to not discuss the existence or progress of ongoing investigations. However, there are specific cases in which doing so is warranted if such information is in the best interest of the public and public safety.  Recent attention on the death of Elijah McClain warrants such disclosure.

“The FBI - Denver Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado began reviewing the facts for a potential federal civil rights investigation in 2019.  In addition, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division has been notified and has been involved in ​this review.  The matter is ongoing, and we are in the process of gathering additional evidence from the Aurora Police Department and other parties.  To date, the City of Aurora has been cooperating.

“We are also aware of recent media reports about Aurora police officers being placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation into a photograph in which those officers appeared. We are gathering further information about that incident to determine whether a federal civil rights investigation is warranted.  

“We will have no further comment until both of those reviews are completed.”