AZ Execution Takes Two Hours, Inmate’s Lawyers Claim He Was Gasping for an Hour
An Arizona inmate’s execution reportedly took two hours today, and the man’s lawyers filed an emergency appeal after he was gasping and snorting for a full hour. Joseph Wood was sentenced to death row for killing his girlfriend and father, but the execution today had a pretty glaring hitch.
BREAKING: Arizona inmate's lawyers file emergency appeal, say he's been gasping, snorting for an hour.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 23, 2014
However, Wood eventually died, but it took almost two hours.
BREAKING: Arizona attorney general says death row inmate is dead, nearly 2 hours after execution started.
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 23, 2014
Wood had previously challenged the execution by arguing he had a right to know the mixture of drugs that would be used to kill him. An appeals court agreed, but the U.S. Supreme Court denied the stay of execution.
The Twitter reaction to the news was, needless to say, mixed.
.@AP Maybe folks will think twice about murdering people next time.
— The Mad Hessian (@TheMadHessian) July 23, 2014
One day this will seem mad RT “@AP: BREAKING: Arizona inmate's lawyers file emergency appeal, say he's been gasping, snorting for an hour.”
— David Rennie (@DSORennie) July 23, 2014
@mfnsmith @AP doesn't matter. There's something called the 8th amendment. Such suffering is unconstitutional.
— Matt Greider (@iamMattGreider) July 23, 2014
America RT@AP: BREAKING: Arizona inmate's lawyers file emergency appeal, say he's been gasping, snorting for an hour.
— Broderick (@BroderickGreer) July 23, 2014
In Ohio, Dennis McGuire took 26 minutes to die.
In Oklahoma, Clayton Lockett took nearly 45.
In Arizona, tonight, Joseph Wood took 117.
— erin mccann (@mccanner) July 23, 2014
Update- 9:05 pm: An Associated Press reporter witnessed the scene firsthand as Wood was set to be executed, relaying that Wood “gasped more than 600 times over the next hour and 40 minutes.”
Update- 9:50 pm: Governor Jan Brewer has since issued a statement ordering a full review of the process.
[image via screengrab]
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Follow Josh Feldman on Twitter: @feldmaniac
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