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After SCOTUS Rejected His Final Appeal, Alabama Executes Man With Nitrogen Gas (truthout.org)

submitted 9 months ago by CaractacusPotts@lemmy.ca to c/politics@beehaw.org

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[–] Bitrot@lemmy.sdf.org 18 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

From one of the linked articles by a reporter in the room:

The gas appeared to start flowing at approximately 7:58 p.m. Smith visibly shook and writhed against the gurney for around two minutes. His arms thrashed against the restraints.

He breathed heavily, slightly gasping, for approximately seven more minutes. At one point, his wife cried out.

At 8:01 p.m., a correctional officer in the execution chamber leaned over Smith and examined his face, before stepping away and walking back to his post. Smith appeared to stop breathing at 8:08 p.m.

I've experienced hypoxia and found it very comfortable, if I had to choose a way to go there would be it, but that was at a high altitude and my brain had no idea what was happening (later edit: done properly with no carbon dioxide buildup, the brain should be unaware with nitrogen too - I suspect their untested mask was shit). This sounds barbaric.

[–] jarfil@beehaw.org 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

They either botched the mask, or used a bottle of welding quality nitrogen laced with CO2.

[–] Omega_Haxors@lemmy.ml 8 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

The latter seems the most likely. The death penalty is full of negligence on this scale.

I promise you if people realized just how crooked the whole thing was, nobody would support it.

[–] maxprime@lemmy.ml 8 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Imagine thinking that this is okay and also being against MAID.

[–] Bitrot@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 9 months ago

I wasn't familiar with that term (Medical Assistance in Dying), learned something new. Agreed, it makes no sense at all.

[–] Teotwawki@lemmy.ml 7 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

I was a researcher for around twenty years and almost passed out leaning over an LN2 tank like an idiot looking for my samples once. No pain, just felt some tingling and rapidly fading consciousness. There was still a good amount of oxygen in the room since the alarms never went off. Just glad I started to fall backwards instead of into the tank.

I've also experienced nitrogen narcosis while deep diving, and that actually felt good.