The paramedic who fatally injected Elijah McClain with a sedative after he was put in a chokehold by police has been sentenced to five years in prison.
Paramedics Peter Cichniec and Jeremy Cooper were found guilty of manslaughter in December.
Mr Cicuniec was sentenced on Friday, and Mr Cooper will learn his punishment at a hearing in April.
The murder of a 23-year-old black man in 2019 initially received little public attention.
But a year later, the issue received renewed attention after the death of George Floyd in Minnesota sparked nationwide protests against racial justice and police brutality.
Mr Cichniec, 51, was also found guilty of second-degree assault for deciding to inject Mr McClain with ketamine, a powerful sedative.
McClain, a massage therapist, was on her way home from a convenience store when she was stopped by three police officers from the Denver suburb of Aurora who were responding to a report of a “suspicious” person in the area.
During the ensuing confrontation, he was placed in a chokehold.
Body camera footage from the incident showed McClain repeatedly telling officers, “I can’t breathe,” before paramedics injected McClain with the maximum dose of ketamine, prosecutors said.
He said he did not perform basic medical examinations. He never regained consciousness and died three days after his life support was removed.
They also left him lying on the floor, making it difficult for him to breathe and failed to monitor his condition.
Cicuniec appeared in court on Friday, accompanied by his wife and family, Colorado Public Radio reported.