Boulder County announced on July 11 that 54-year-old Edward Ray McClure, a Boulder paramedic, was arrested on charges of manslaughter and forgery related to the December death of Jesus Lopez Barcenas. The Boulder County District Attorney’s Office conducted an investigation and released a full report on Friday detailing the “reckless acts” and violations of American Medical Response (AMR) protocols. The forensic pathologist concluded that Barcenas died of complications from cardiac arrest, which included being sedated, restrained, and improperly placed into a prone position by McClure.
McClure was booked into the Boulder County Jail in the afternoon on July 11 and released on bond less than two hours later. The incident occurred on December 27, 2024 when law enforcement responded to a report of a suspicious person. The Boulder DA press release states that “Mr. Barcenas repeatedly made nonsensical statements and attempted to damage property.” Barcenas refused officer orders to sit down and was yelling about the CINC (Center For Innovation and Creativity) being on fire. He proceeded to hit the fire alarm with his cell phone.
Barcenas reached into his pockets, triggering concern from the officers so they attempted to detain him. Barcenas resisted arrest and the struggle led to one officer and Barcenas falling to the ground. Barcenas attempted to take one of the officer’s firearms during the struggle and yelled that there were bodies inside the CINC. The officer was able to “shrimp” control of his gun and after the struggle continued, the officers were able to handcuff Barcenas.
The officers and sergeant “used only the degree of force necessary to gain compliance and handcuff Mr Barcenas,” the report states. The Boulder DA found this to be a lawful arrest and legally reasonable.
McClure arrived on the scene and failed to conduct a “proper medical assessment” before injecting Barcenas with a sedative. McClure put Barcenas in a prone position, which is against AMR protocol for a handcuffed patient. The gurney was positioned upright, in a prone position, and a spit sock was placed over Barcenas’ head.
“The Critical Incident Team conducted a thorough and independent investigation, which is so important in cases such as this one,” District Attorney Michael Dougherty said. “Based on our careful analysis of that investigation, the law enforcement officers involved were legally justified in using force against Mr. Barcenas. However, the reckless acts of the paramedic led to the untimely and tragic death of Mr. Barcenas. Our prosecution team will fight hard to secure the right outcome in this criminal prosecution, particularly for the loving family of Mr. Barcenas and for this community.”
