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yesterday

Tennessee Executes Byron Black With Active Defibrillator

Last-minute appeals were denied after the Tennessee Supreme Court reversed a judge’s order to disable his heart implant.

This undated file photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Correction shows Byron Black. The Tennessee Supreme Court on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, indefinitely postponed the execution of death row inmate Byron Black. In a brief order issued on Thursday, the court wrote that Black's execution is stayed pending a further order by the court “because of the multiple issues caused by the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.”
This undated booking photo provided by the Tennessee Department of Corrections shows Byron Black.
Image
Byron Lewis Black, right, listens to testimony during his murder trial alongside his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Ross Alderman, in Metro’s Circuit Court at the Davidson County Courthouse on March 9, 1989.

Overview

  • Byron Black, 69, was executed by lethal injection on August 5 at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution with his implanted cardioverter-defibrillator still active.
  • The U.S. Supreme Court rejected Black’s appeals and Gov. Bill Lee denied clemency requests, clearing the way for the procedure.
  • Media witnesses reported that Black cried out “It’s hurting so bad” and moved as the execution began, raising questions about possible shocks.
  • Black’s attorneys plan to review autopsy findings and internal defibrillator data to determine whether the device discharged during the lethal injection.
  • Advocates and medical experts warn that the case tests Eighth Amendment protections and raises healthcare ethics issues as Tennessee resumes executions after a five-year pause.