MSNBC’s Geoff Bennett Tears Up on Air Reading Elijah McClain’s Last Words: If He’s Not Safe, ‘Who Is?’

NBC News correspondent Geoff Bennett teared up on air Wednesday reading the last words of Elijah McClain.

McClain was a 23-year-old Black man stopped by Colorado police in 2019 over a 911 call from someone saying he looked “sketchy.” Officers confronted him and put him in a chokehold, and minutes later paramedics showed up and injected him with ketamine. He was declared brain-dead at the hospital, and was taken off life support just days later.

On Wednesday a grand jury indicted three police officers and two paramedics, charging all five with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

As Bennett discussed the case with his guests, he remarked that “based on everything we know about it, there’s no reason for Elijah McClain to be stopped in the first place.”

“Somebody saw him walking at night, he had a ski mask on, he said he was cold. It was Colorado, and he said he was anemic and that’s why he had a ski mask on and then he was set upon by police and was drugged by paramedics,” he continued.

He brought up McClain’s final words, but teared up as he shared them with viewers.

I can’t breathe. I have my ID right here… My name is Elijah McClain. That’s my house. I was just going home. I’m an introvert. I’m just different. That’s all. I’m so sorry. I have no gun. I don’t do that stuff. I don’t do any fighting. Why are you attacking me?

“If Elijah McClain isn’t safe, who is?” Bennett asked.

Former prosecutor David Henderson raised the question: “What does it mean when the people who are supposed to protect us are the most quick to resort to violence, even lethal violence?”

You can watch above, via MSNBC.