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6
What happened at the nation’s first nitrogen gas execution: An AP eyewitness account (CW extreme graphic description of a man choking to death) (www.woodtv.com)
submitted 9 months ago by Evilphd666@hexbear.net to c/news@hexbear.net
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[–] joaomarrom@hexbear.net 5 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Absolutely horrific.

At this point it's trite to say that if this had happened in any other country, there would be incessant media outcry about it. That goes without saying. What I think is interesting is the nature of these experimental execution methods (god what an awful phrase). Who are they for? What is the purpose of this?

We can clearly see that it's not to make it painless for the inmate. It's also not to make it more efficient and quick, the guy choked and thrashed around for ten minutes. So what is the point of even experimenting with ways to kill a person? Is it merely supposed to be bloodless, to make cleaning up easier after the fact? A firing squad is quicker and relatively painless, because the person dies in a couple of seconds, rather than minutes, but it does make a mess.

I just don't get it. If that person should die, then why go through all this fucking trouble when you can just shoot them, or alternatively shoot them up with enough fentanyl to kill a horse? Bullets and fentanyl are cheap. Cheaper than nitrogen gas, I presume. Sometimes it feels like the sadistic fucks in charge of this theater (and it is a theater, curtains and all) are just trying some new shit to see what it will do. Experimenting for its own sake.

[–] PKMKII@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago (3 children)

Firing squad is messy, fentanyl I’m guessing being a controlled substance/opioid makes it a no go. I remember reading a few years back that the EU was ceasing the export of the chemical traditionally used in lethal injections in the U.S. so my guess is they’re experimenting with a replacement they can source easily.

[–] the_itsb@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

my guess is they’re experimenting with a replacement they can source easily

can confirm as a burgerian that this is indeed what is happening

[–] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

Firing squad ruins the veil of civility, and it also makes the pigs get PTSD from THINKING they killed a man. So instead we have to play Mengele to give it some kind of civil and scientific legitimacy

[–] FishLake@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 9 months ago

I think the point OP is making is that the state doesn’t appear to be interested in quick and affordable executions. If it were then it would seek to amend or change laws/regulations in order to do so. But instead the state pursues these experimental executions that are slower and crueler.

[–] edge@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

We can clearly see that it's not to make it painless for the inmate.

I think it was actually. As I described in my main comment in this thread, inert gas asphyxiation is painless. So I think the intent was indeed to make it painless.

They just didn't take into account that the person might hold their breath, causing them to experience normal asphyxiation from the remaining CO2 in their body. Or they did take it into account by just telling him not to hold his breath or something, as if that would stop him from doing so.

[–] TechnoUnionTypeBeat@hexbear.net 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (2 children)

I decided to look into the previous execution and I am now fully sadness-abysmal

Copied from Wikipedia:

CW for horrific violence

Despite the fact that Smith had a motion to stay his execution pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, at 7:45 p.m. on November 17, 2022, a lawyer for the Alabama Department of Corrections emailed Smith's lawyers to let them know they were preparing him for execution.[13] Smith spoke with his wife, and at 7:57 p.m. prison guards ended his phone call with her.[13] Smith was handcuffed and shackled and taken to the execution chamber.[13] Two minutes later, at 7:59 p.m. the Eleventh Circuit issued a stay of execution, which Smith's lawyers immediately provided to the Alabama Department of Corrections.[13]

The Department of Corrections replied that they had received notice of the stay, but did not inform Smith or allow him to speak with his lawyers, instead keeping him strapped to a gurney in the execution chamber.[13] At 10:00 p.m. the execution team entered and attempted to place an IV into Smith's arm. At approximately 10:20 p.m. the United States Supreme Court lifted the Eleventh Circuit's stay of execution. Smith told a member of the execution team that they were inserting the needle into his muscle, but the team member told him that was not true.[13] The team then moved Smith into an inverted crucifixion position and left the room, returning after a few minutes to inject him with an unknown substance, despite Smith's objection.[13] Another individual began repeatedly stabbing Smith's collarbone with a needle, attempting to place a central IV line.[13] The results were unsuccessful and at approximately 11:20 p.m. Smith's execution was called off.[13] Smith was unable to walk or lift his arms on his own, and was sweating and hyperventilating.[13] This marked the third consecutive botched execution by the state of Alabama.[13]

[–] mars@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

Holy shit

[–] zed_proclaimer@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

How are they so incapable of killing someone what the fuck? Like just do a firing squad Jesus Christ

[–] booty@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

One thing I read a while back that made sense to me was that the reason executions are so often botched is that real doctors won't take part in this dumb shit so you only get the lowest CHUD "doctors" performing them.

[–] DayOfDoom@hexbear.net 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Part describing the execution

The Department of Corrections had required Hood to sign a waiver agreeing to stay 3 feet (0.9 meters) away from Smith’s gas mask in case the hose supplying the nitrogen came loose.

Smith began to shake and writhe violently, in thrashing spasms and seizure-like movements, at about 7:58 p.m. The force of his movements caused the gurney to visibly move at least once. Smith’s arms pulled against the against the straps holding him to the gurney. He lifted his head off the gurney the gurney and then fell back.

The shaking went on for at least two minutes. Hood repeatedly made the sign of the cross toward Smith. Smith’s wife, who was watching, cried out.

Smith began to take a series of deep gasping breaths, his chest rising noticeably. His breathing was no longer visible at about 8:08 p.m. The corrections officer who had checked the mask before walked over to Smith and looked at him.

The curtains were closed to the viewing room at about 8:15 p.m.

[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

John Brown quote about the crimes of this country etc. etc.

[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 2 points 9 months ago

When hanging or firing squad are more humane alternatives, god damn america, that's in the bible.

[–] soiejo@hexbear.net 2 points 9 months ago

For those unnaware: The jury voted 11-1 to not give him the death penalty, but the judge decided to sentence him to death anyway.

[–] take_five_seconds@hexbear.net 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

just fucking shoot them god damn "the cruelty is the point"

[–] Ho_Chi_Chungus@hexbear.net 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

it's moments like these where i'm astounded that i can regularly wake up and go about my day in this society like it isn't the most damnable nation to ever stain this earth

[–] frauddogg@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 9 months ago

I've been coping by telling myself that this is just the Biblical nation of Sodom, and that one day very soon, I will get to watch the fireballs land.

[–] Ecoleo@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

I thought breathing some gases, like helium, are a peaceful death, because your body does not realise it cannot breathe? (ie the feeling of suffocation only arises from a buildup of CO)

Or is nitrogen a different deal? Not to say I would support the execution otherwise.

[–] edge@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

(CW: Discussion of self harm and the description of the execution)Something seems wrong here. What nitrogen does is replace the oxygen and CO2 in your lungs. Our self preservation instinct doesn't actually respond to a lack of oxygen, but a build-up of CO2. Because of that, nothing is felt when it's all replaced by an inert gas (which, being inert, doesn't do anything to your body directly). It's actually a popularly recommended method among euthanasia advocates and as far as I can tell is the quickest, most painless, most peaceful way to (CW) commit suicide. If I eventually do it, it's probably going to be with that method, but with Helium since it's much easier to get.

With all that said, nitrogen shouldn't cause the reactions described, so I have no idea how they happened. My best guess is that it was his last (purposeful, not instinctive) attempt at saving himself. Which seems like it would be present in every method where they're conscious at the start. But that doesn't fully match with the "spasms and seizure-like movements".

Regardless, while it's probably the best method for someone who wants to die, clearly it doesn't seem great for executions. Of course executions aren't great in the first place, but one where the person is at least quickly anesthetized might be the least inhumane.

Edit: maybe he wasn't thrashing purposefully, but rather tried to hold his breath (or both), which meant the nitrogen didn't quickly replace the CO2, so he experienced the typical form of asphyxiation before the nitrogen could do anything. That would explain the deep gasping breaths at the end, he couldn't hold it any longer. That also explains why he was alive and moving for at least two minutes. Inert gas asphyxiation is supposed to be quicker than that afaik.

[–] GnastyGnuts@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

The most humane method of execution that humanity has ever developed is still just a bullet to the head. People in this stupid fucking turd of a country are unfortunately too bloodthirsty to give up on execution, but also too squeamish to do it the honest and correct way.

[–] charly4994@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

For a crime older than I am, was there even any justice served at this point? The man wasn't actively a threat to society and was instead used as an experiment subject. The only cases I'm even sympathetic to execution are of the monsters that lead to hundreds of deaths through social murder or negligence, but in the western world you just gotta pay less than a single PS5 to the families to get off the hook for that kind of shit and even then just lock them up.

[–] Bay_of_Piggies@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

I don't know how to say this, but it's kind of awesome that by refusing to die he fucked up their attempts at a non-traumatic execution. Seems like he refused to die without a fight and that fucked up the method. Maybe we shouldn't fucking execute people? Especially if we're uncomfortable with them raging against it with all their might.

[–] Outdoor_Catgirl@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

Just fucking shoot people if you want to kill them, psychos. Or if having to kill someone yourself is too hard, don't do it?

[–] Dirt_Owl@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

This is disgusting. I have no words to express how fucked this is.

[–] Thordros@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

Is there some way we could purge this nation's sins? If you know of one, you've just been banned from Reddit dot com.

[–] GalaxyBrain@hexbear.net 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Don't have a death penalty but if you do, just blast them full of fucking morphine. Like, we have how to go put feeling pretty absolutelynfucking down. Like, when it's my time, if I have the ability to do so and am dying anyway I wanna make fucking sure it'd from an opiate overdose. If you're gonna exit, it's probably the best way to go. Death sucks but going out not only painlessly but on a high note brainwiaw seems nice and I know frome experience having my blood replaced with morphine is the a guarantee of that

[–] Mardoniush@hexbear.net 1 points 9 months ago

The definition of a "humane" death for these ghouls isn't "kills quickly and painlessly" it's "looks like it does to observers". Obviously the most humane way of killing someone is hitting them with a 200 ton block of stone accelerated to well above terminal velocity. But no one wants to clean up the mess.

Giving someone a morphine overdose might cause the person to throw up and that's gooey so it wont be done.

[–] TheDialectic@hexbear.net 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

It's wild that they just don't give the guy a shot of fentonol. The one drug every cop knows is fatal and they don't use it.

[–] Benluxjan@lemmygrad.ml 1 points 9 months ago

Yeah but Fentanyl od would probably be good for the executed Person but jarring for the executioner and their families. And over time we learned that execution methods only need to Look good to the executioner so they can do it indefinitely instead of abolishing the death Penalty