Dec 16, 2006 5:03 pm US/Eastern
Gov. Bush Suspends Executions After Diaz Mishap
by Marybel Rodriguez
TALLAHASSEE (CBS4) ―
Governor Jeb Bush suspended all executions in Florida Friday after learning from a newly released report from a medical examiner revealed the lethal injection of convicted killer Angel Nieves Diaz was mishandled.
Bush responded by halting the signing of more death warrants until a commission he created to examine the state's lethal injection process completed its final report by March 1.
Bush said he wanted to ensure the process didn't constitute cruel and unusual punishment.
The medical examiner, Doctor William Hamilton, said officials botched the insertion of the needles, which pierced two veins and then went into soft tissue in Diaz's arms.
The needles supposed to be inserted in 55-year-old Diaz's veins were pushed through to soft tissue instead, and doctors say it could have been a painful mistake as the poisons burned his arms. Officials say he was seen licking his lips, blinking and even appeared to be mouthing words.
"It really sounds like he was tortured to death," said Jonathan Groner, associate professor of surgery at the Ohio State Medical School, who has written several articles on lethal injection. "My impression is that it would cause an extreme amount of pain."
The error has led Gov. Jeb Bush to suspend all executions; he has said he'll name a commission to look into the state's lethal injection process as well.
Governor-Elect, Charlie Crist even spoke out on the incident saying, "I believe in the death penalty but if we're going to do it, we must carry it out in a humane way."
Diaz's nephew, Danny Viera Otero, told CBS4, "I certainly believe he was in pain. Even dogs are killed in a more humane way."
It does little to change what Diaz may have experienced, though, as he was given three drugs to deaden pain, paralyze the body and cause a fatal heart attack.
The execution took 34 minutes which according to officials is twice as long as normal.
(© 2006 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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