A growing number of people want Colorado officials to pause or ban medics from using ketamine on people during escalated confrontations with police. The list includes two men who were given the powerful anesthetic when medics and police decided they showed signs of “excited delirium” or extreme “agitation.”
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This initial reporting paved the way for several other stories and helped inspire lawmakers to pass legislation to restrict paramedics' use of ketamine during encounters with police. As a bill sits on Gov. Jared Polis' desk awaiting a signature, Congressman Joe Neguse, of Boulder, cited KUNC's reporting as he introduced a similar bill nationally.