NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In a letter, nearly 40 medical professionals are calling on Governor Bill Lee to pause executions until improvements are made to the entire process after the state failed to execute death row inmate Tony Carruthers in May. The medical professionals join advocacy groups, faith leaders, and state lawmakers in the urge to stop executions in Tennessee until an investigation or a review is done.
"The horrifyingly botched attempt to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21 confirmed that TDOC is not presently able to conduct an execution that complies with the law, its own protocol, or basic human decency."
The letter says one issue with the state's execution process is that medical professionals participate in them. They say medical ethics prohibit from healthcare professionals from doing so.
"This means that the health care professionals who agree to take part in Tennessee’s executions are those willing to set aside their professional ethics."
The dozens of medical professionals also question the legitimacy of the state's lethal injection drugs. You can read the full letter here.
The next execution is scheduled for August 13 in Tennessee. Carruthers has been issued a one-year reprieve by Gov. Lee.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Megan.Scarano@NewsChannel5.com
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