Tennessee Execution Under Scrutiny: Inmate Claims Severe Pain Amid Active Defibrillator Controversy

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Byron Black, an inmate executed on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, in Tennessee, reportedly endured significant pain during his lethal injection, according to multiple witnesses. The execution proceeded despite an active implanted defibrillator, raising serious questions about the state’s protocol.

Black, 69, died at 10:43 a.m. CT, approximately 10 minutes after the execution commenced. Witnesses described Black lifting his head, sighing, and breathing heavily, with Black himself stating, “Oh, it’s hurting so bad.” His spiritual advisor was heard attempting to comfort him.

The controversy stems from the state’s decision not to deactivate Black’s implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD), a device that functions as both a pacemaker and an emergency defibrillator. Black’s attorneys had argued in court that the device should be turned off to prevent unnecessary pain or prolonged suffering, a position initially supported by a trial court judge but later overturned by the Tennessee Supreme Court.

Attorney Kelley Henry condemned the execution, stating, “Today, the state of Tennessee killed a gentle, kind, fragile, intellectually disabled man in a violation of the laws of our country simply because they could.” The defense team plans to meticulously review autopsy results, EKG data, and information from the defibrillator to understand the full extent of what occurred.

Prison officials have not commented on the witness accounts or Black’s complaints of pain. The execution marks Tennessee’s second since May, following a five-year pause. The incident reignites debate over lethal injection protocols and the ethical involvement of medical professionals in executions.

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