The state of Alabama is seeking to proceed with the nation's fourth execution using nitrogen gas, scheduled for next week. However, a doctor who witnessed a previous execution using this method expressed concerns about the inmate's distress and prolonged consciousness. Demetrius Terrence Frazier, convicted of a 1991 rape and murder in Birmingham, is set for execution on Feb. 6.
Frazier's attorneys are requesting the court to intervene, suggesting changes to the execution protocol, such as administering a sedative before the gas is released. The state's method involves replacing breathable air with pure nitrogen gas through a respirator mask, resulting in death by lack of oxygen.
