911 calls following Christa Pike's botched execution released
It took about half an hour after the first 911 call about Christa Pike's botched execution for prison officials to affirm the emergency was legitimate, the calls show.
Emergency responders faced confusion and delays following Christa Pike's failed lethal injection last month, according to 911 dispatch recordings made public on Monday. The first call was made at 8:40 p.m. on September 30th, reporting that 10 grams of pentobarbital had been administered but the prisoner was not yet deceased. The dispatcher requested a verification code, which the caller lacked.
Several calls were exchanged between Nashville emergency agencies and prison officials to confirm the legitimacy of the call. Prison officials confirmed it was a false alarm at 9:03 p.m., but not until 9:11 p.m. did they permit emergency responders to enter the execution chamber. Pike, 50, survived the botched execution and has since been discharged and moved to a rehabilitation center.
The cause of the error remains under investigation, with medical experts speculating a potential issue with the IV line.
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- Emergency help for Christa Pike was delayed by confusion after failed execution, 911 calls reveal pbs.org
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