Florida Execution Using New Anesthetic Drug Turns Controversial

(RTTNews) - Florida has executed a double-murder convict with a first-time anesthetic drug used for capital punishment, evoking strong protest from human rights groups, criminal justice reformers, and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson.

J&J's pharmaceutical division, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, condemned the state's use of the drug etomidate, which the company invented a half-century ago exclusively for medical use.

53-year-old Mark Asay became the first white defendant to be put to death for the murder of a black victim in Florida since the state brought back capital punishment in the 1970s. It was the first execution in Florida in 19 months, and the 17th in the U.S. in 2017.

Authorities said he was pronounced dead at 6:22 PM Thursday at the state prison in Starke after three-drug injection process.

Asay was first administered the sedative etomidate, followed by rocuronium bromide as a paralytic drug and potassium acetate to stop the heart.

"Janssen discovers and develops medical innovations to save and enhance lives... We do not condone the use of our medicines in lethal injections for capital punishment," the Pharmaceuticals company said in a statement.

Though approved by the Florida Supreme Court, doctors hired by Asay's attorneys pointed out that there were cases where etomidate had caused pain along with involuntary writhing in patients.

Amnesty International on Thursday condemned Florida for its use of death penalty.

Asay was sent to death row in 1988 for two racially motivated murders he committed in 1987, and the state and federal courts denied Asay's last minute applications to stay his execution.