A death row inmate who was convicted of ambushing and killing a police officer has been executed by lethal injection after his appeal for clemency was denied.
Kevin Johnson, 37, died at 7.04pm local time on Tuesday at Bonne Terre prison in Missouri, United States.
The execution took place after a last minute appeal to the United States Supreme Court was denied. He gave no final statement and declined his last meal.
Johnson's legal team admits he killed Officer William McEntee in 2005, but had contended in an appeal to the Missouri Supreme Court that he was sentenced to death in part because he is a black man.
One of his attorneys, Shawn Nolan, said in a statement yesterday: "The State of Missouri is poised to execute Kevin Johnson tonight, not for his crimes, but because he is black"
He was denied a stay of execution in an 5-2 ruling late on Monday at the Missouri Supreme Court, which Johnson's lawyers responded to by appealing to the US Supreme Court.
This appeal was denied later the same evening. State governor Mike Parson confirmed his death in a statement on Tuesday evening, adding that he hoped it would "bring some closure to Sgt McEntee's loved ones who will continue to anguish without him".
An earlier stay request to the top US court was also denied last week, while Governor Parson announced on Monday that he would not grant Johnson clemency.
The Republican and a former county sheriff confirmed in a statement: "The violent murder of any citizen, let alone a Missouri law enforcement officer, should be met only with the fullest punishment state law allows"
"Through Mr Johnson's own heinous actions, he stole the life of Sergeant McEntee and left a family grieving, a wife widowed, and children fatherless. Clemency will not be granted."
His victim, 43-year-old husband and father-of-three McEntee, was dispatched to Johnson's home on July 5, 2005 to serve a warrant for his arrest after breaching his probation.
When Johnson saw the police arrive he went to his brother Joseph Long's room to wake up his 12-year-old brother, who fled to his nan's house next door.
As he ran, the boy - who had a congenital heart defect - suffered a seizure and tragically died in hospital just hours later.
Later than evening when talking with friends, Johnson blamed the police for his brother's death saying: "They wasn't trying to help him, that he was too busy looking for me."
McEntee was later attending another incident in the neighbourhood when Johnson approached his car and opened fire saying: "You killed my brother".
The victim was struck five times and another bystander hit in the leg.
A badly injured McEntee got out the police car before Johnson returned and shot him twice in the head, killing him.
