Inmate dies of heart failure after botched execution in Oklahoma

The execution of Oklahoma inmate Clayton Lockett was halted in the evening on Tuesday. The botched execution leaves officials questioning ethics regarding the death penalty.

Lockett’s attorney, David Autry, said that it was “a horrible thing to witness,” according to the Associated Press. Department of Corrections Director Robert Patton gave details about the execution, saying that Lockett received the first injection at 6:23 pm. Lockett suffered a heart attack and died 43 minutes later, according to Patton. Officials say that Lockett’s vein ruptured.

Other executions have been delayed. According to KFOR.com, the execution of Charles Warner would be delayed because of the issues surrounding Clayton Lockett’s execution. Warner had been scheduled to be executed two hours later.

The incident has ignited a debate about the death penalty and “the ability of states to administer lethal injections that meet the U.S. Constitution’s requirement they be neither cruel and unusual punishment.” As of now, the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma has taken a stand on the matter, calling for “an immediate moratorium on state executions.”

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