McClain died days after an interaction with Aurora Police on Aug. 24, 2019. A 911 caller claimed that the 23-year-old was acting suspiciously while he was walking home from a convenience store. McClain was wearing a ski mask at the time because he was anemic and had been cold, and the witness reported he had been waving his arms and gesturing.
Police were seen on body camera video throwing the 5-foot-7 and 140-pound massage therapist to the ground. An officer is heard shouting that McClain reached for one of their guns, though the video does not definitively show either way.
McClain himself was unarmed.