South Carolina to execute man by firing squad for first time in US in 15 years

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Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Zachary Hill (Video Editor)

South Carolina will execute Brad Sigmon by firing squad on Friday, marking the first time in 15 years the method is used in the U.S. Sigmon, who was sentenced to death in 2002, chose the firing squad over lethal injection or the electric chair.
While only five states authorize death by firing squad, one legal expert has called it the least inhumane execution method.
Safety concerns have been raised for both those shooting and the witnesses, with some questioning why the execution is not being held outdoors.

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South Carolina plans to execute a man by firing squad on Friday, March 7, marking the first time the method has been used in the U.S. in 15 years. Brad Sigmon, who was sentenced to death in 2002 for killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in their home, chose the firing squad over the state’s other execution methods –– lethal injection and the electric chair.

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According to one law expert, Sigmon’s choice is not surprising, and speaks to a larger conversation happening across the U.S. about execution methods.

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“We have six methods of execution in this country,” Deborah Denno, a professor of law at Fordham School of Law, said. “I think firing squad is the least inhumane method. So I can understand an inmate selecting it; that makes sense to me. It’s the better choice for an inmate, if I were somebody representing that person.”

Where is execution by firing squad allowed?

The firing squad is authorized in only five states: Idaho, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Utah. However, South Carolina has never executed an inmate by firing squad.

“In recent years, there has been a reevaluation of the firing squad as a possible method of execution, primarily because lethal injection has only gotten worse over the decades,” Denno said. “Lethal injection was first used in 1982. It’s always been a problematic method of execution, and it’s simply gotten worse.”

What will happen on Friday?

According to South Carolina’s Department of Corrections protocol, Sigmon will be ushered into the chamber, strapped into a chair and a hood will be placed over his head, with a target positioned on his heart. Three firing squad members will be behind a wall, a little more than 15 feet away, with their rifles aimed at Sigmon through an opening.

Bullet-resistant glass has been installed between the witness room and the death chamber, allowing witnesses to see Sigmon’s right-side profile.

The warden will read the execution order, and the firing squad will then fire their rifles.

Are there safety concerns associated with South Carolina’s plan?

Drew Swift, a firearms instructor who owns a training academy in Virginia, expressed concerns about the safety of shooting an inmate inside the death chamber, both for those shooting and the witnesses.

“I wouldn’t shoot in that space. I wouldn’t even be in the room,” Swift told NPR. “It’s just an unnecessary risk.”

A former executioner, who also spoke to NPR, said he was shocked to learn that the firing squad execution would not take place at an outdoor firing range.

“If a round were to hit this chair anywhere in here, it could ricochet anywhere,” he told NPR after seeing photos of the setup.

The firing squad execution is scheduled for 6 p.m. local time on Friday at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia. Sigmon, 67, will be the oldest inmate to die by execution in the state.

Tags: Death row executions, lethal injections, South Carolina

THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA PLANS TO EXECUTE A MAN BY FIRING SQUAD FRIDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE COUNTRY IN 15 YEARS. BRAD SIGMON WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH AFTER BEING CONVICTED IN 2002 OF KILLING HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND’S PARENTS IN THEIR HOME.

SIGMON CHOSE TO DIE BY FIRING SQUAD OVER THE STATE’S OTHER METHODS: LETHAL INJECTION OR THE ELECTRIC CHAIR.

“WE HAVE SIX METHODS OF EXECUTION IN THIS COUNTRY,” Deborah Denno, professor of law, Fordham School of Law said. “I THINK FIRING SQUAD IS THE LEAST INHUMANE METHOD. SO I CAN UNDERSTAND AN INMATE SELECTING IT THAT THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME. IT’S THE BETTER CHOICE FOR AN INMATE. IF I WERE SOMEBODY REPRESENTING THAT PERSON.”

IT’S A METHOD ONLY FIVE STATES — IDAHO, MISSISSIPPI, OKLAHOMA, SOUTH CAROLINA AND UTAH – AUTHORIZE. SOUTH CAROLINA HAS NEVER EXECUTED AN INMATE BY FIRING SQUAD.

“IN RECENT YEARS, THERE HAS BEEN A REEVALUATION OF THE FIRING SQUAD AS A POSSIBLE METHOD OF EXECUTION, PRIMARILY BECAUSE LETHAL INJECTION HAS ONLY GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE DECADES,” professor Denno said. “LETHAL INJECTION WAS FIRST USED IN THE 1982. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN A PROBLEMATIC METHOD OF EXECUTION, AND, IT’S SIMPLY GOTTEN WORSE.”

ACCORDING TO THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS PROTOCOL, SIGMON WILL BE USHERED INTO THE CHAMBER, STRAPPED INTO A CHAIR AND A HOOD WILL BE PLACED ON HIS HEAD, ALONG WITH A TARGET PLACED ON HIS HEART.

THREE FIRING SQUAD MEMBERS WILL BE BEHIND THE WALL, A LITTLE MORE THAN 15 FEET AWAY WITH THEIR RIFLES FACING SIGMON THROUGH AN OPENING. BULLET RESISTANT GLASS HAS BEEN INSTALLED BETWEEN THE WITNESS ROOM AND DEATH CHAMBER AND WITNESSES WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE RIGHT-SIDE PROFILE OF SIGMON.

THE WARDEN WILL READ THE EXECUTION ORDER AND THE FIRING SQUAD WILL FIRE THEIR RIFLES.

ONE FIREARMS INSTRUCTOR WHO OWNS A TRAINING ACADEMY IN VIRGINIA SAYS SHOOTING AN INMATE INSIDE THE DEATH CHAMBER IS NOT SAFE FOR THOSE SHOOTING OR LOOKING ON AS WITNESSES.

“I WOULDN’T SHOOT IN THAT SPACE. I WOULDN’T EVEN BE IN THE ROOM,” SAID DREW SWIFT TOLD NPR. “IT’S JUST AN UNNECESSARY RISK.”

ANOTHER FORMER EXECUTIONER TOLD THE PUBLIC RADIO STATION HE WAS SHOCKED TO LEARN THE FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION WOULD NOT TAKE PLACE OUTDOORS AT A FIRING RANGE.

“IF A ROUND WERE TO HIT THIS CHAIR ANYWHERE IN HERE, IT COULD RICOCHET ANYWHERE,” HE TOLD NPR AFTER SEEING PHOTOS OF THE SETUP.

THE FIRING SQUAD EXECUTION IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE FRIDAY AT 6 P.M. IN THE BROAD RIVER CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN COLUMBIA.

SIGMON IS 67 YEARS OLD AND WILL BE THE OLDEST INMATE TO DIE BY EXECUTION IN THE STATE.