TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Moments ago, Tennessee officials removed Tony Von Carruthers from the gurney after Carruther’s counsel filed an emergency motion for a stay of execution alleging that Tennessee officials had been unable to place an IV line to carry out this morning’s scheduled execution.

In light of this disturbing development, counsel for Richard Knight, currently scheduled for execution in Florida only hours from now (Thursday, May 21 at 6pm) has filed an emergency motion for a stay of execution in the Florida Supreme Court. The filing urges the Court to halt his execution on the grounds that Florida’s execution protocol violates the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Specifically, they point to the provision that allows untrained prison officials to perform an invasive venous cutdown procedure without anesthesia in the event they are unable to obtain I.V. access.

Grace Hanna, Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, stated “What happened in Tennessee this morning is exactly what Richard Knight’s lawyers have warned about. Instead of waiting for the worst case scenario, it is imperative that the courts or the governor step in to stop this injustice from happening twice in the same day.”

Hanna continues, “Despite the State’s facade, lethal injection is not a medical procedure. Allowing untrained prison staff to perform surgery on living, breathing person without anesthesia is not justice. It is torture.”