Elijah McClain's father pleads guilty to DUI and assault on police officer

The biological father of Elijah McClain pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and assault on a police officer in Arapahoe County Court on Tuesday for an incident that happened this past January.

Colorado State Patrol troopers arrested LaWayne Mosley after a witness reported seeing him driving erratically on the highway.

"The caller reported that the driver was weaving and not maintaining speed on Interstate 70" near Manila Road, according to a CSP news release.

After an alert was issued, troopers located a car matching the report at a gas station in Adams County.

Mosley didn't comply with orders to exit the vehicle "per normal DUI investigative practices," according to the State Patrol. While a trooper "began to assist Mr. Mosley from the vehicle," he was physically assaulted. An Adams County Sheriff's deputy, who had arrived, tased Mosley.

Neither the trooper nor Mosley was injured. He was booked into the Arapahoe County Jail.

At the time, Mosley faced charges of second-degree assault on a peace officer, driving under the influence, resisting arrest, careless driving, and possession of a weapon while under the influence.

Mosley will be sentenced in Oct. 2024, according to a post on X by the 18th Judicial District.

Elijah McClain, 23, died after being stopped by three Aurora police officers, subdued and handcuffed, and then injected with ketamine by two Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics in August of 2019.

One of the officers, Randy Roedema, was convicted of criminally negligent homicide and sentenced to 14 months in jail with work release. The other two officers, including Nathan Woodyard, the initial officer to stop McClain, were acquitted.

Two paramedics were convicted for injecting him with the ketamine and sentenced in March. One received a sentence of 14 months in a work release program, four years of probation and 100 hours of public service. The other was sentenced to five years in prison.

In 2021, Mosley and McClain's mother, Sheneen McClain, were awarded $15 million in a civil lawsuit they brought against the city of Aurora

"There is no amount of money in the world that will make up for losing my son," Mosley had said in a statement when the award was announced, "but hopefully this sends a message to police everywhere that there are consequences for their actions. I hope Elijah's legacy is that police will think twice before killing another innocent person."

Denver Gazette City Editor Dennis Huspeni contributed to this article.