Alabama man who killed cop raises middle fingers during execution
On Thursday, an Alabama man who was accused of killing a cop in 1997 was put to death via lethal injection raised his middle fingers during his execution.
On Thursday, an Alabama man who was accused of killing a cop in 1997 was put to death via lethal injection raised his middle fingers during his execution.
Torrey Twane McNabb, 40, who was accused of shooting Montgomery police officer Anderson Gordon five times as he sat in his patrol car, was executed despite his claims that the state’s punishment was cruel and unusual and used his last statement to tell his mother and his sister that he was not afraid and to curse the state of Alabama.
“Mom, sis, look at my eyes. I got no tears. I am unafraid. To the state of Alabama, I hate you … I hate you. I hate you,” McNabb said
He then raised his middle fingers as the procedure started before becoming still.
The United States Supreme Court had delayed the execution for several hours to consider McNabb’s request for a stay before ultimately allowing it to move forward. McNabb’s lawyers had argued that the execution should not go forward because the sedative midazolam does not reliably knock someone out before other drugs stop the heart and lungs. As evidence, they referenced a December execution in which an inmate heaved and coughed for 13 minutes during the procedure.
However, the execution ultimately moved forward, and McNabb was pronounced dead at 9:38 p.m. CDT.
