Tennessee officials verify emergency call after botched execution of inmate
A 911 call reporting a medical emergency during a botched lethal injection at Riverbend Prison was initially deemed false, delaying assistance until prison officials confirmed the situation was real.
Emergency responders and Tennessee prison officials delayed aid to inmate Christa Pike after a botched lethal injection on Sept. 30, according to 911 dispatch recordings obtained by the Associated Press. The first call, placed at 8:40 p.m., could not provide a verification code, leading dispatchers to label the call as false at 9:03 p.m.
At about 9:11 p.m., prison officials confirmed the emergency was legitimate, allowing responders to enter the facility. An ambulance and fire trucks arrived at the prison campus shortly thereafter, and Pike was transported to a hospital where she was placed on a ventilator. She regained consciousness days later, was discharged, and returned to the women’s prison where she has been held for three decades.
A second call was made at 9:08 p.m. by Pike’s attorney, Kelly Gleason, who reported that Pike was still alive and required immediate life-saving care.
Governor Bill Lee has paused further execution attempts while the Tennessee Department of Correction reviews the incident. State officials have not disclosed the specific cause of the failed execution, though medical experts have suggested possible drug quality issues or complications related to Pike’s reported blood disorder.