US EditionAttorney Says Heart Device Did Not Shock Tennessee Man in Execution Who Said He Was 'Hurting so Bad'
DAVIDSON COUNTY, TENNESSEE, AUG 7 – Byron Black was executed despite court orders to deactivate his defibrillator; Tennessee Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling on the device's management during lethal injection.
- On Tuesday, Tennessee executed Byron Black despite his implantable cardioverter defibrillator remaining active, and he died at 10:43 a.m. at the prison.
- A trial court judge ordered Black’s defibrillator deactivated in mid-July, but Tennessee’s Supreme Court reversed that last Thursday.
- Amid the procedure, Byron Black groaned ‘Oh, it’s hurting so bad’ while restrained to the gurney, and ICD data later eliminated one possible cause for his pain comments.
- The public defender noted Kelley Henry said she’s been told it will be eight to 12 weeks before an autopsy report is released, and she said pentobarbital `did not work like the State’s expert testified that it would`.
- The Death Penalty Information Center noted Black, 69, suffered dementia, brain damage, kidney failure and congestive heart failure, raising ethical concerns about execution methods.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Tennessee executes man after legal battle over heart device
MedPage Today
Anti-Aging, Acupuncture and Health NewsThe Medical Dilemma at the Heart of Byron Black's Execution
(MedPage Today) -- On August 5, 2025, the state of Tennessee executed prisoner Byron Black by intravenous injection of a large dose of pentobarbital. Witnesses to his execution reported that he was visibly in distress or discomfort. Before he died...
Associated Press News
Attorney says heart device did not shock Tennessee man in execution who said he was 'hurting so bad'
The attorney for a Tennessee man who said he was “hurting so bad” during his lethal injection this week says his implanted defibrillator did not shock him during the execution.
The convicted murderer Byron Black had tried to shut down his implanted defibrillator before his execution. The justice department in Tennessee rejected this.
Attorney says heart device did not shock executed TN man who said he was ‘hurting so bad’
A Tennessee man who said he was “hurting so bad” during his lethal injection this week was not shocked by his implanted defibrillator, his attorney said Friday. Kelley Henry, the federal public defender for Byron Black, said her team received an initial evaluation of the data from his implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The ICD information eliminates one possible cause for Black’s comment about pain during his execution Tuesday, and other ac…
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 56% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
