Utah's firing squad: How does it work?

[webfact]

Utah's firing squad: How does it work?
By BRADY McCOMBS

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Gov. Gary Herbert on Monday gave his stamp of approval to a law that brings back the firing squad in the only state that has used it in the past 40 years — Utah.

Under the law, firing squads will be a backup method if lethal-injection drugs aren't available.

Utah and other states have struggled to keep up their inventories as European manufacturers opposed to capital punishment refuse to sell the components of lethal injections to U.S. prisons.

A closer look at how Utah's firing squad works:
___

WHAT HAPPENS ON EXECUTION DAY?

The prisoner is seated in a chair that is set up in front of a wood panel and in between stacked sandbags that keep the bullets from ricocheting around the room.

A target is pinned to the inmate's heart. Shooters aim for the chest rather than the head because it's a bigger target and usually allows for a faster death, said Utah Rep. Paul Ray, who sponsored the proposal.

The prisoner is offered a two-minute window to offer final words. In 1977, Gary Gilmore used that chance to say, "Let's do this" before he died.

Five shooters set up about 25 feet from the chair, with their .30 caliber Winchester rifles pointing through slots in a wall. Assuming they hit their target, the heart ruptures and the prisoner dies quickly from blood loss.

In 2010, Ronnie Lee Gardner was declared dead two minutes after he was shot. He was the last person killed by firing squad in the U.S.
___

WHO ARE THE SHOOTERS?

The gunmen are chosen from a pool of volunteer officers, with priority given to those from the area where the crime happened.

There are always more volunteers than spots on the squad, Ray said recently.

The shooters' identities are kept anonymous, and one of their rifles is loaded with a blank round so nobody knows which officer killed the inmate.
___

HAVE FIRING SQUAD EXECUTIONS EVER GONE WRONG?

Not in recent history, said Deborah Denno, a Fordham Law School professor who has long studied executions. Utah's three firing squad executions in the past four decades went as planned, she said.

But the Washington, D.C.-based Death Penalty Information Center, which opposes capital punishment, warns a firing squad is not a foolproof execution method because the inmate could move or the shooters could miss the heart, causing a slower, more painful death.

One such case appears to have happened in 1879, during Utah's territorial days, when a firing squad missed Wallace Wilkerson's heart and it took him 27 minutes to die, according to newspaper accounts.

Denno said errant shots to Wilkerson's shoulder might have been intentional to make him suffer.
___

CAN ORGANS BE DONATED AFTER FIRING SQUAD EXECUTIONS?

Yes. Unlike a lethal injection that poisons the organs, the bodies of people executed by firing squad remain usable.

Gilmore, executed by firing squad in 1977, agreed to donate his eyes, kidneys, liver and pituitary gland for medical use. His kidneys proved unusable because of bullet wounds.

Gardner did not donate his organs.
___

ARE ANY UTAH INMATES IN LINE FOR THE FIRING SQUAD?

Yes. Ron Lafferty, who claimed God directed him to kill his sister-in-law and her baby daughter in 1984 because of the victim's resistance to his beliefs in polygamy, has requested the firing squad.

Lawmakers in the state stopped offering inmates that choice in 2004, saying firing squads attracted intense media interest and took attention from victims. But Lafferty got the option because he was convicted before 2004.

The other Utah death-row inmate who could be next up for execution, Doug Carter, has chosen lethal injection. Under the new law, Carter would get the firing squad if the state can't get its hands on the lethal injection drugs.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-24

[Seastallion]

If you can use the organs, then firing squad should be first choice of the state.

[Seastallion]

25 feet, Winchester rifle, target placed over the heart...and they still got his kidneys? Great shooting guys

[Credo]

The gov't may have trouble getting the drugs, but I bet if they go down to the local drug area and tell one of the dealers they want to buy the drugs, they will short up within a short period of time. It's called capitalism and the people engaging in it are entrepreneurs.

[Seastallion]

Surely a headshot is better? I've shot a wild pig that ran off for a couple of hundred metres before collapsing and it turned out the shot went straight through the heart. Same thing with deer. All headshots have been immediate collapse.

[neverdie]

Surely a headshot is better? I've shot a wild pig that ran off for a couple of hundred metres before collapsing and it turned out the shot went straight through the heart. Same thing with deer. All headshots have been immediate collapse.

Same as Police, shoot for the centre of bodymass, less chance of missing.....but I agree with you head shots are normally very destructive and normally lead to death very quickly, especially with a hollow point.

They should sell tickets to the shooting, people could pay to be a shooter or pay to watch.....funds raised 100% to the victims or their families.

[NickJ]

They could also have celebrity guest shooters once the ratings start to dip.

[ALFREDO]

If you can use the organs, then firing squad should be first choice of the state.

And shoot threw the head without hurting the eyes, so could use heart and eyes to.

[jdinasia]

25 feet, Winchester rifle, target placed over the heart...and they still got his kidneys? Great shooting guys

It would depend on the type of wood used as a backstop and the load of the cartridge.

Too light of a load and or backstop which is too hard could cause issues even though the bullet first penetrated the heart.

Organ donation should not be mandatory unless it is made mandatory for all people.

[jdinasia]

If you can use the organs, then firing squad should be first choice of the state.

And shoot threw the head without hurting the eyes, so could use heart and eyes to.

Headshots are problematic for several reasons, there would be no way to guarantee the integrity of the eyes plus the family of the executed prisoner may want an open casket funeral.

[jerome2]

bring back crucifiction ,a lot of problem would be solved, the romans were right,

and for the islamist a special ID card red ,no TV ,no car ,no buses no hospital no doctor,let them have their middle age and the stick to enforce it like in the good old days of the califat

[X pat]

I remember when Utah use to hang them,no wast that way. Now that was back in the good old days when I was growing up there. Public hangings,very low crime rate,shame they can't do that now.

[Gandtee]

Surely a headshot is better? I've shot a wild pig that ran off for a couple of hundred metres before collapsing and it turned out the shot went straight through the heart. Same thing with deer. All headshots have been immediate collapse.

Same as Police, shoot for the centre of bodymass, less chance of missing.....but I agree with you head shots are normally very destructive and normally lead to death very quickly, especially with a hollow point.

They should sell tickets to the shooting, people could pay to be a shooter or pay to watch.....funds raised 100% to the victims or their families.

Good ole American values! There are some sick people out there.

[jdinasia]

The Death Penalty never works. More you execute more you promote homicides. Compare the States of US and their bill.

Texas is at the top for killing even proven innocents.. *Thaksin made his PHd in extrajuridicial killing where?

The death penalty works perfectly. Nobody executed ever commits a crime again.

[connda]

"Shooters aim for the chest rather than the head because it's a bigger target and usually allows for a faster death..."

That's BS. A shot to the heart or lungs (liver, kidneys, etc) causes massive hemorrhaging and the condemned bleeds out. Until that happens, they can be conscious. Shots to the head, like the Italians did in WWII, completely destroys the brain. Lights out...all over. People confuse 'messy' with 'inhumane'. Yeah, 3 to 4 high-powered rifle bulleted to the back of the head pretty well explodes the head, it's incredibly messy, but I guarantee the convicted didn't feel a thing. All the pain nerve ending in the brain evaporate in a milli-second.

My personal opinion is that individuals who draw up execution methodologies are generally Machiavellian sadists, and the processes and procedures they develop border on the absolute freaking bizarre.

Read about Thailand venture in firing squads. The condemned is strapped on a chair or other object facing away from a table mounted Heckler-Koch submachine gun. Hands are bound and raised into the air with a rope and pulley. Then a garland of jasmine is place in their bound hands. The machine gun is aimed at the back, loaded with 15 rounds, a cloth screen is placed between the gun and condemned, then they let it rip. However, there have been FBARs. I read online about a women who was executed.. After filling her full of holes they put her in the next room. Moments later she regained consciousness, breathing, and attempted to sit up. From what I read one of the officials attempted to strangle her. <head shake>. They then strung her back up and finished the job with a full 15 shot magazine. I think that went on from 1935 until 2004. Brutal. And interesting: Thailand doesn't seem to have any problem getting Phenobarbital for lethal injections. Chinese probably have the game down better. Single shot to the back of the head with a high caliber rifle. No multiple minutes to bleed out from wounds to the internal organs and deprive the brain of blood prior to death. Just immediate unconsciousness and death.

The US lethal injection program is just as macabre. I'm mean really? 500 mg intravenous Midazolam followed by an over-dose of morphine. Bob's your uncle. So what it you can't get Phenobarbital? Why make it such a convoluted process? I'm sure some lame-brain out there will state something inane like, "You'll make him into a drug addict." <head shake> My opin? It's about an eye for and eye, and death penalty opponents want the condemn to suffer prior to death. And if the person is actually innocent: mai bpen rai.

Personally I'm not an advocate of the death penalty unless the victim's next of kin, or other public citizen volunteer closely associated with the victim(s) are willing to initiate the process: that is, pull the trigger, push the button, pull the lever, whatever. It really is about an eye for an eye; about revenge. If the family members, next-of-kin, volunteer, or significant other won't do it, then life in prison without parole. And make executions public. Stop sanitizing this act and show the populace with it looks like, especially when the executions are botched -- well, if you really want a deterrent. Of course, if it was made public, the do-gooders would be horrified and the death penalty would quickly end. Imho.

Edited March 24, 2015 by connda

[neverdie]

Surely a headshot is better? I've shot a wild pig that ran off for a couple of hundred metres before collapsing and it turned out the shot went straight through the heart. Same thing with deer. All headshots have been immediate collapse.

Same as Police, shoot for the centre of bodymass, less chance of missing.....but I agree with you head shots are normally very destructive and normally lead to death very quickly, especially with a hollow point.

They should sell tickets to the shooting, people could pay to be a shooter or pay to watch.....funds raised 100% to the victims or their families.

Good ole American values! There are some sick people out there.

What do you mean ?

[neverdie]

"Shooters aim for the chest rather than the head because it's a bigger target and usually allows for a faster death..."

That's BS. A shot to the heart or lungs (liver, kidneys, etc) causes massive hemorrhaging and the condemned bleeds out. Until that happens, they can be conscious. Shots to the head, like the Italians did in WWII, completely destroys the brain. Lights out...all over. People confuse 'messy' with 'inhumane'. Yeah, 3 to 4 high-powered rifle bulleted to the back of the head pretty well explodes the head, it's incredibly messy, but I guarantee the convicted didn't feel a thing. All the pain nerve ending in the brain evaporate in a milli-second.

My personal opinion is that individuals who draw up execution methodologies are generally Machiavellian sadists, and the processes and procedures they develop border on the absolute freaking bizarre.

Read about Thailand venture in firing squads. The condemned is strapped on a chair or other object facing away from a table mounted Heckler-Koch submachine gun. Hands are bound and raised into the air with a rope and pulley. Then a garland of jasmine is place in their bound hands. The machine gun is aimed at the back, loaded with 15 rounds, a cloth screen is placed between the gun and condemned, then they let it rip. However, there have been FBARs. I read online about a women who was executed.. After filling her full of holes they put her in the next room. Moments later she regained consciousness, breathing, and attempted to sit up. From what I read one of the officials attempted to strangle her. <head shake>. They then strung her back up and finished the job with a full 15 shot magazine. I think that went on from 1935 until 2004. Brutal. And interesting: Thailand doesn't seem to have any problem getting Phenobarbital for lethal injections. Chinese probably have the game down better. Single shot to the back of the head with a high caliber rifle. No multiple minutes to bleed out from wounds to the internal organs and deprive the brain of blood prior to death. Just immediate unconsciousness and death.

The US lethal injection program is just as macabre. I'm mean really? 500 mg intravenous Midazolam followed by an over-dose of morphine. Bob's your uncle. So what it you can't get Phenobarbital? Why make it such a convoluted process? I'm sure some lame-brain out there will state something inane like, "You'll make him into a drug addict." <head shake> My opin? It's about an eye for and eye, and death penalty opponents want the condemn to suffer prior to death. And if the person is actually innocent: mai bpen rai.

Personally I'm not an advocate of the death penalty unless the victim's next of kin, or other public citizen volunteer closely associated with the victim(s) are willing to initiate the process: that is, pull the trigger, push the button, pull the lever, whatever. It really is about an eye for an eye; about revenge. If the family members, next-of-kin, volunteer, or significant other won't do it, then life in prison without parole. And make executions public. Stop sanitizing this act and show the populace with it looks like, especially when the executions are botched -- well, if you really want a deterrent. Of course, if it was made public, the do-gooders would be horrified and the death penalty would quickly end. Imho.

If they are that worried about botched shootings, why not just increase the firepower.......for example use a rocket launcher ....... Pound a big missile into them and vapourise them.....save with the clean up too. ? they're only scumbag crims.....not worthy for society which is the reason they're being snuffed out in the first place.

[Baerboxer]

I remember when Utah use to hang them,no wast that way. Now that was back in the good old days when I was growing up there. Public hangings,very low crime rate,shame they can't do that now.

Think you're memory must be playing tricks Rambo. Last public hanging in the US was 79 years ago in Kentucky. Utah as executed 51 people since 1850 and mostly by firing squad or lethal injection. Last "private" hanging there was 1958 and only one other hanging early that century.

[Grouse]

Awful people

[Rancid]

Wouldn't stoning be cheaper? Life of Brian comes to mind.

In fact doesn't the US have the highest rate of incarceration per head in the world? Adding the execution mentality, have to wonder if they have some major social problems.

[Doc46]

Bring back the Hanging 100 % safe,Just let them hang overnight till they cold, never fails

[jdinasia]

"Shooters aim for the chest rather than the head because it's a bigger target and usually allows for a faster death..."

That's BS. A shot to the heart or lungs (liver, kidneys, etc) causes massive hemorrhaging and the condemned bleeds out. Until that happens, they can be conscious. Shots to the head, like the Italians did in WWII, completely destroys the brain. Lights out...all over. People confuse 'messy' with 'inhumane'. Yeah, 3 to 4 high-powered rifle bulleted to the back of the head pretty well explodes the head, it's incredibly messy, but I guarantee the convicted didn't feel a thing. All the pain nerve ending in the brain evaporate in a milli-second.

My personal opinion is that individuals who draw up execution methodologies are generally Machiavellian sadists, and the processes and procedures they develop border on the absolute freaking bizarre.

Read about Thailand venture in firing squads. The condemned is strapped on a chair or other object facing away from a table mounted Heckler-Koch submachine gun. Hands are bound and raised into the air with a rope and pulley. Then a garland of jasmine is place in their bound hands. The machine gun is aimed at the back, loaded with 15 rounds, a cloth screen is placed between the gun and condemned, then they let it rip. However, there have been FBARs. I read online about a women who was executed.. After filling her full of holes they put her in the next room. Moments later she regained consciousness, breathing, and attempted to sit up. From what I read one of the officials attempted to strangle her. <head shake>. They then strung her back up and finished the job with a full 15 shot magazine. I think that went on from 1935 until 2004. Brutal. And interesting: Thailand doesn't seem to have any problem getting Phenobarbital for lethal injections. Chinese probably have the game down better. Single shot to the back of the head with a high caliber rifle. No multiple minutes to bleed out from wounds to the internal organs and deprive the brain of blood prior to death. Just immediate unconsciousness and death.

The US lethal injection program is just as macabre. I'm mean really? 500 mg intravenous Midazolam followed by an over-dose of morphine. Bob's your uncle. So what it you can't get Phenobarbital? Why make it such a convoluted process? I'm sure some lame-brain out there will state something inane like, "You'll make him into a drug addict." <head shake> My opin? It's about an eye for and eye, and death penalty opponents want the condemn to suffer prior to death. And if the person is actually innocent: mai bpen rai.

Personally I'm not an advocate of the death penalty unless the victim's next of kin, or other public citizen volunteer closely associated with the victim(s) are willing to initiate the process: that is, pull the trigger, push the button, pull the lever, whatever. It really is about an eye for an eye; about revenge. If the family members, next-of-kin, volunteer, or significant other won't do it, then life in prison without parole. And make executions public. Stop sanitizing this act and show the populace with it looks like, especially when the executions are botched -- well, if you really want a deterrent. Of course, if it was made public, the do-gooders would be horrified and the death penalty would quickly end. Imho.

If you call for it to be the victim's family, you are talking about vengeance.

[emilymat]

The Death Penalty never works. More you execute more you promote homicides. Compare the States of US and their bill.

Texas is at the top for killing even proven innocents.. *Thaksin made his PHd in extrajuridicial killing where?

The death penalty works perfectly. Nobody executed ever commits a crime again.

Or is actually able to be declared innocent and still be alive at some future date. We've had quite a few high profile cases of overturned guilty verdicts in the UK, since the abolition of the death penalty.

[maidee]

a plastic bag over the head... cheaper

[NickJ]

I dont know....Its stopped me a few times.

[lumply]

Seen three beheadings at chop chop square in Riyadh. One guy was made to suffer by the executioner but eventually his head came off, job done. The other two guys went quietly, heads just popped off. Barbaric, but then it was time for lunch.

[connda]

a plastic bag over the head... cheaper

Cyanide in California gas chambers? Brutal. Check out the movie Kill Me If You Can about Caryl Chessman. However, same air-tight gas chamber filled with Helium, the convicted just passes out and dies. Helium and other inert gases are interesting. The human body doesn't understand that it's got too much CO² and no O². No thrashing around and convulsing. Humane, painless death. But that is not what the proponents of the death penalty want. They want suffering. Interestingly enough, the legislators in the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed a resolution this year to investigate using the inert gas, Nitrogen. Well, at least one progressive state out there.

And I still don't get this, "we can't get Phenobarbatol for lethal injection" meme. Sure you can. Just make a visit to the local dog pound. There's got to be a few million vials of 'barbs' located in the US animal shelters. With 3.5 million cats and dogs euthanized via a lethal injection, don't tell me Phenobarbatol is not widely available. I mean, come on. The US government could sole source a company to produce Phenobarbatol if they wanted. Why is the EU the sole distributor? It's all total bunk.

Edited March 24, 2015 by connda

[facthailand]

Were it I, I would prefer capital punishment over the living death of life imprisonment for such monumental crimes as...LSD! (Thank God we're all safe now!) There should be no death penalty simply because everybody makes mistakes. But firing squad is no better or worse than other methods. I'd rather look my murderers in the eyes!

[Lokie]

They had to go back to eighteen seventy what? to find one that went wrong lol... Just bag the Murderes, Rapists and kiddie fiddlers, don't wast ammo and drugs or Leccy on em' or let em swing, and bring back Birching, sort a few theiving scumbags out, an anyone attcks the Old, infirm or defenceless gets Birched, bagged and swings!

[hawker9000]

The Death Penalty never works. More you execute more you promote homicides. Compare the States of US and their bill.

Texas is at the top for killing even proven innocents.. *Thaksin made his PHd in extrajuridicial killing where?

The death penalty works perfectly. Nobody executed ever commits a crime again.

Or is actually able to be declared innocent and still be alive at some future date. We've had quite a few high profile cases of overturned guilty verdicts in the UK, since the abolition of the death penalty.

I'm a strong death penalty proponent, but when a conviction turns out to have been false (any conviction for anything, not just capital crimes; but NOT talking about acquittals here - just convictions), someone should be taking a hard look at the investigators and prosecutors that were involved in the case. If there are any indications of exculpatory evidence having been overlooked or concealed, leads suggestive of innocence not as aggressively pursued as those pointing to guilt, or criminal investigations not being impartially and professionally conducted, then the officials involved, ALL officials involved, should be vigorously prosecuted at the felony level and severely punished themselves. And in the case of a capital crime, such misconduct should be classified as attempted premeditated murder itself. Justice depends on a fair and impartial process all down the line, not just in the courtroom and not just by judge & jury, and the incentivization of police, investigators and prosecutors simply to get convictions at all costs is an abuse of the public trust and NOT due process.