For more than two hours, the team attempted to insert two shunts into a vein of the compliant Broom, who tried several times to assist his executioners by shifting positions, rubbing his arm and pointing out possible usable veins. * * *
At one point, Broom, 53, lay back on his bed, covered his face with his hands, and cried. Another time, while sitting up, he was seen grimacing as the execution team appeared to seek a vein around his ankles.
A reprieve at this stage of an execution has never happened since the death penalty was reinstated in 1999, said Terry Collins, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. He said he called the governor and asked for the reprieve after it became clear the execution team was having trouble. "I could tell my team was becoming somewhat frustrated," Collins said. The reprieve extended only until Sept. 22 [until a federal judge granted a stay of execution to stop the expiration of the reprieve and prevent the execution from happening during the pendency of the court proceeding].
The drama played out before the family of Tryna Middleton . . . Tryna's mother and father, Bessye and David Middleton, were there to witness the execution, as was an aunt. They sat in front of a glass window through which they were expecting to see Broom die.
Instead, he never made it out of his nearby cell, where two shunts were to be installed in veins. The shunts allow three drugs to enter the veins and sedate, paralyze and kill the inmate. The family and others watched the preparation on closed-circuit monitors mounted in the witness area. A camera filmed Broom and captured much of the difficulty the execution team had, as well as Broom's frustration. Broom requested no witnesses initially, but about an hour into the process asked for his attorney, Adele Shank, to be present.
A visibly upset Shank appeared in the witness room not knowing of Broom's request but out of concern for the length of time for the execution. "The chief justice and the governor have been notified of what's going on," Shank said after the execution team spent 90 minutes trying to insert the shunts.
Collins said the execution team was able to access several veins but they collapsed once saline solution was administered. He defended the execution team and said: "They continued to do a job that most wouldn't do or couldn't do." . . .
Shank, Broom's lawyer, said she is considering additional appeals. "We don't want to see a repeat of this ever," she said.
At one point, Broom, 53, lay back on his bed, covered his face with his hands, and cried. Another time, while sitting up, he was seen grimacing as the execution team appeared to seek a vein around his ankles.
A reprieve at this stage of an execution has never happened since the death penalty was reinstated in 1999, said Terry Collins, director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. He said he called the governor and asked for the reprieve after it became clear the execution team was having trouble. "I could tell my team was becoming somewhat frustrated," Collins said. The reprieve extended only until Sept. 22 [until a federal judge granted a stay of execution to stop the expiration of the reprieve and prevent the execution from happening during the pendency of the court proceeding].
The drama played out before the family of Tryna Middleton . . . Tryna's mother and father, Bessye and David Middleton, were there to witness the execution, as was an aunt. They sat in front of a glass window through which they were expecting to see Broom die.
Instead, he never made it out of his nearby cell, where two shunts were to be installed in veins. The shunts allow three drugs to enter the veins and sedate, paralyze and kill the inmate. The family and others watched the preparation on closed-circuit monitors mounted in the witness area. A camera filmed Broom and captured much of the difficulty the execution team had, as well as Broom's frustration. Broom requested no witnesses initially, but about an hour into the process asked for his attorney, Adele Shank, to be present.
A visibly upset Shank appeared in the witness room not knowing of Broom's request but out of concern for the length of time for the execution. "The chief justice and the governor have been notified of what's going on," Shank said after the execution team spent 90 minutes trying to insert the shunts.
Collins said the execution team was able to access several veins but they collapsed once saline solution was administered. He defended the execution team and said: "They continued to do a job that most wouldn't do or couldn't do." . . .
Shank, Broom's lawyer, said she is considering additional appeals. "We don't want to see a repeat of this ever," she said.
