US: Role of EMTs in executions criticized
May 19th, 2009 | Published in Feature | 6 Comments
When the state carries out a death sentence, intermediate-level emergency medical technicians deliver the fatal drugs to condemned prisoners.
But a Columbus surgeon and longtime opponent of capital punishment contends that these technicians are not allowed to administer the drugs.
Read full article: DispatchPolitics
Thanks to Harwetopa via Twitter
May 19th, 2009at 11:25(#)
This is without doubt one of the sickest things I’ve read in a very long time.
And I thought doing custody work is wrong!
The last paragraph is particularly awful:
FTA: “We have never used any doctors or nurses in the process, and we wouldn’t want to do that because it conflicts with any oath they have taken as it relates to preserving lives”
Thank goodness the UK does not ‘legally’ murder its citizens for any reason! Let’s hope we never do.
May 22nd, 2009at 18:51(#)
would like to know what the EMTs fee is – bet a hefty financial incentive is enough to sway certain EMS employees to perform the task…
November 23rd, 2009at 10:08(#)
Would you be stating the same facts if your family were wiped out by some crazed drug user ?
Its a job man !
Whether legal or not we dont know.
When in a court of law, we swear on the holy bible. Yet in the same bible it states ” An eye for an eye”.
The question then is: What is actually classed as legal ?
I suspect the executioner role is extra curriculum and should have remained a classified post !!
December 25th, 2009at 21:13(#)
I guess the U.S EMS’s don’t follow the 3 P’s
March 3rd, 2010at 22:46(#)
I love this bit,
Quote” “The EMTs are not trained to give these drugs and, in my opinion, there’s no assurance they can do it properly,” said Dr. Jonathan Groner, trauma medical director at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
“These drugs are way out of their scope, and there is risk of pain and suffering.”
Pain and suffering?? I thought they were being executed anyway? Why don’t they just give well over the max dose, then there won’t be any griping about scope, suffering or any other silly excuse to clip the wings of the yank tekkies. I’d rather have an experienced yank tekkies bringing forth deserved mortality than a 15 year-old-looking house officer who can’t cannulate for toffee instead preferring to try and blanket-stitch my ACF with a poxy 18 gauge before finally handing over to the nearest Paramedic who’s only going show the poor sod up first time…..
April 3rd, 2010at 20:50(#)
Well said Editor sir.