田纳西州女子注射死刑执行失败 女死囚术后被送医 律师指其遭受残忍与异常惩罚

田纳西州本周三对一名女死囚执行的注射死刑在执行过程中明显失效。据《印度教徒报》国际版援引美联社报道，50岁的Christa Pike于9月30日按计划在纳什维尔的Riverbend最高安保级别惩教所接受注射处决，原定让她成为该州200年来首位以注射方式被处决的女性。然而在注射完成后，七名在场见证的记者指她仍持续呼吸并发出明显鼾声长达近一小时；其间她曾唱歌、出现肢体动作，并抱怨手臂疼痛。行刑人员在记者被带离后拉上帘幕，外部无法观察后续处置过程。

WBIR调查记者John North说："It appears this did not go how this was supposed to go... when we left the building, so far as we knew, she was probably still alive."WPLN电视台记者Catherine Sweeney描述："We just listened, as they said, to her snoring and making very loud breathing sounds for almost an hour."《纳什维尔旗帜报》记者Steven Hale补充说："whatever just happened happened behind a closed curtain when Christa Pike was still alive. We could still hear her breathing, but we could not see what was going on."WVLT电视台的直播画面显示，一辆闪着警灯的救护车驶离执行场所，但目前无法确认该车是否运送Pike本人。

此次执行发生在美国最高法院数小时前刚刚放行之后。Pike的律师团队随即发表声明称："Tonight the State of Tennessee once again failed to carry out a lawful execution. Christa is being treated at a nearby hospital. We have not been informed as to her condition."律师进一步指出，这一过程"has turned into agony and a violation of Pike's right to be executed free of cruel and unusual punishment"——已变成一场折磨，构成对Pike根据美国宪法第八修正案所享有的、免受残忍与异常惩罚之权利的侵害。WVLT报道称，律师已着手申请紧急中止令，并请求"立即开始挽救生命的措施"。

州政府目前尚未公开披露Pike送医后的具体身体状况；注射致死失败究竟系药物失效、剂量问题还是程序失误尚无定论；州方是否会再次安排执行、何时执行以及采用何种方式执行，亦无进一步信息。