Jerica Lacour died Jan. 11, 2018, after a paramedic working for American Medical Response in Colorado Springs gave her ketamine, according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in El Paso County District Court.
The use of ketamine outside of hospitals has been under scrutiny in Colorado since the 2019 death of Elijah McClain in Aurora. McClain died in police custody afterState lawmakers in 2021 passed a bill that set parameters for using ketamine in the field and a panel of expertsThe paramedic in Colorado Springs, Jason Poulson, on Jan. 11, 2018, responded to the scene of a distressed person along with a Colorado Springs police officer, an EMT with American Medical Response and two firefighters.
The first responders placed Lacour on a gurney, strapped down her limbs and placed a spit hood over her head, the lawsuit states, citing body camera footage. Poulson then said he was going to give Lacour ketamine and one of the firefighters at the scene said he should not.