The Aurora Police Department is reintegrating one of the officers involved in the arrest (and subsequent death) of Elijah McClain into its force.

After a two-year suspension without pay, the officer will not only be restored to the suburban Denver department but also receive over $200,000 in back pay.

City officials announced that after a jury found him not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, Officer Nathan Woodyard will be permitted to serve and protect despite the deadly result of the 2019 interaction with McClain.

Woodyard and two other officers were charged in relation to McClain’s death, resulting in his suspension without pay. The Aurora City Charter indicates that all officers found facing felony charges must be suspended without pay until the completion of the trial. It also notes that if the officer is acquitted, as in the case of Woodyard, they must be allowed to come back to the Colorado city’s department.

During a highly publicized two-week criminal trial, it was asserted that the officers’ use of a choke hold and excessive force, as highlighted by the local coroner’s office, played a crucial role in the man’s death. The coroner’s report suggests that when combined with the administration of a potentially lethal dose of ketamine by an emergency response team, these factors contributed to the tragic demise of the 23-year-old.

Woodyard was the first officer to approach McClain on Aug. 24, 2019, after receiving a call that he was acting “suspicious.” Though McClain was not breaking any laws and was unarmed, the young Black man was wearing a ski mask on his face as he walked home from a convenience store. Within seconds of engaging McClain, he got into a physical altercation with the police, resulting in him being placed in a carotid choke hold at least twice and vomiting in his mask before telling officers he could not breathe.

Following the forceful detention, paramedics injected McClain with 500 mg of ketamine, enough for a man weighing 200 pounds. The 23-year-old weighed 143 pounds. This sent him into cardiac arrest, and he died three days later.

The jury deliberated for two days and presented the court with a not-guilty verdict.

Woodyard chose to return to the force after his acquittal.

“Nathan Woodyard is no longer suspended without pay following his acquittal on Nov. 6. He has elected to reintegrate with the APD and is currently on Restricted Duty (not in uniform, no public contact, and no enforcement actions) pending next steps in the reintegration process,” Aurora spokesperson Ryan Luby said in an email to 9News.

He also will receive $212,546, according to an announcement on Tuesday, Nov. 28, after his salary was suspended during his leave from the APD. Now, he will start the “reintegration” process into the force, updating and training him on departmental procedures and policies — topics that came into question during the trial.

“Any member of the Civil Service who has been on extended absence is subject to reintegration to bring them up to speed on changes to workplace practices and policies,” Luby continued.

“The length of a reintegration period varies depending on the employee, the length of their extended absence and any other circumstances that may arise before or during that process,” the representative explained. “Consequently, Mr. Woodyard would need to undergo reintegration for a period of time as numerous policies and practices at the Aurora Police Department have changed since he was placed on administrative leave without pay in Sept. 2021.”

After going through his classes and training workshops, the police chief gives the final word on what division of the force Woodyard will be assigned to.

The trial of two paramedics involved in the McClain case started on Wednesday, Nov. 29, days after Woodyard’s suspension was listed and he was welcomed back on the force. The medical professionals, Jeremy Cooper, 49, and Peter Cichuniec, 51, have been charged with manslaughter, assault and other counts. Each has pleaded not guilty.