Oklahoma Inmate Tasered, Had Self-Inflicted Wounds Day Of Execution, Docs Say

The director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections on Thursday released a timeline of events the day of Clayton Lockett's execution.

Thursday, May 1st 2014, 3:53 pm

By: News On 6


The director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections on Thursday released a timeline of events the day of Clayton Lockett's execution and presented it to Gov. Mary Fallin for review.

The timeline, submitted by DOC director Robert Patton, says Lockett refused to be restrained when being escorted for X-rays early Tuesday morning ahead of his scheduled evening execution. The document says Lockett denied commands by correctional officers, so they shocked him with a Taser at 5:06 a.m.

When he was taken to a medical room, officials discovered a self-inflicted laceration on his right arm, initial treatment was given, and he was transported to the health care center at the penitentiary, where he was treated further, according to the document.

Read the timeline the prison chief presented to the governor

At 6:45 a.m., Lockett was moved to an observation cell and three officers were assigned for continuous observation every 15 minutes until 5:19 p.m.

Lockett refused visits from his attorneys and refused food trays on multiple occasions, according to the timeline.

At 5:22 p.m., Lockett was placed on the execution table and restrained. A phlebotomist entered the chamber and determined there was no viable point of entry for placement of IV in either of Lockett's arms, legs or feet. After a doctor examined his neck, he inserted an IV into Lockett's groin and left the chamber at 6: 20 p.m., according to the document.

A sheet was used to cover Lockett's IV to prevent witnesses from seeing his groin area and the IV entry point.

At 6:23 p.m., the shades were raised to witnesses and Lockett declined to make a final statement. Midazolam was administered through the IV.

At 6:30 p.m., Lockett was still conscious, the timeline says.

At 6:33 p.m., Lockett was determined to be unconscious, and the vecuronium bromide and potassium chloride were administered through the IV.

At 6:42 p.m., the shades were lowered to the witnesses.

The DOC timeline doesn't mention Lockett's reaction, which News On 6 reporter Tess Maune saw as she was a witness on the other side of the glass. Maune said Lockett began shaking uncontrollably, raised his head, tried to force his upper body off the execution table and yelled before the shades were lowered.

4/30/2014 Related Story: Governor Calls For Independent Oklahoma Execution Review

The timeline states that at 6:44 p.m., the doctor reported the vein had collapsed, and said the drugs had either absorbed into tissue, leaked out or both. The warden reportedly called the director, and Patton asked these questions according to DOC:

"Have enough drugs been administered to cause death?"

"Is another vein available, and if so, are there enough drugs remaining?" and had "enough drugs been administered to cause death?"

The doctor answered "no" to all three questions and reported Lockett still had a faint heartbeat.

At 6:56 p.m., the director said he called off the execution.

Ten minutes later, Lockett was pronounced dead.

There was no mention in the timeline what occurred during those 10 minutes.

4/30/2014 Related Story: Remembering Stephanie Neiman: Oklahoma Murder Victim's Tragic Story

Lockett was sentenced to die for killing 19-year-old Stephanie Neiman on June 3, 1999. Neiman had just graduated from Perry High School. Lockett and his accomplices repeatedly raped Neiman's friend; Lockett beat Neiman with a shotgun, then made the teenager kneel while his friend dug her grave. Lockett then shot her twice and buried her alive.

Neiman's family has declined to speak to the media about her killer's execution, and News On 6 has requested their privacy.

Tuesday was supposed to be the first double execution in Oklahoma since 1937. The second man scheduled to be put to death is Charles Warner, who raped and murdered his girlfriend's 11-month-old daughter in 1997.

Ahead of their execution date, the two inmates both sued the state of Oklahoma because it was going to use a brand-new protocol for lethal injection and would not disclose who provided the three drugs. Lawyers for the convicted murderers argued the men could suffer severe pain if Oklahoma maintained a "veil of secrecy."

After Lockett's execution appeared not to go as planned, Warner received an immediate 14-day stay and the governor since said she is prepared to extend it while reviews are conducted.

In the letter to Fallin, the state prison chief also made recommendations for a complete review/revision to execution protocols, a request for indefinite stay of execution until new protocols are in place and an external investigation into Lockett's execution.

4/29/2014 Related Story: Oklahoma Inmate Dies Of Heart Attack After Execution Goes Awry

 

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