Tennessee prepares to execute Philip Workman

AP via Commercial Appeal ^ | 5/8/7 | Rose French

[SmithL]

Patrolmen T.W. Bracey (left) and J.H. Burnette take Philip Workman to police headquarters on Aug. 5, 1981.

[SittinYonder]

convicted of the 1981 shooting death of a Memphis police officer

The first crime was robbing the Wendy's and getting in the gun battle with the cops. The second was waiting so long to punish him.

[theDentist]

"You can't move if you're in pain. You can't bat your eyelashes. You can't do anything."

You can die. That's something...

[trumandogz]

Interesting. Patrolman Bracey is smoking a cigarette while taking the cop killer into custody in 1981.

If he were to do the same in 2007 the Cop Killer would sue the Police Department and win fifty million dollars, be pardoned and Patrolman Bracey would be doing life without parole.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Reminds me of ‘His Gal Friday’. The poor shmuck killed a “colored police officer” and the mayor relied on “their” votes. (Of course, the weepy bleeding hearts did get him off in the movie. But like Johnie Cash said, this ain’t no movie, so forget about Workman.)

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Workman’s lawyers claimed Tennessee’s new death penalty guidelines unveiled last week could cause unconstitutional pain and suffering, but similar arguments have failed in the higher courts, Sutton wrote. *****

Take him out back and pop a round in his head. Simple.

[gridlock]

Terry Workman, Philip Workman's brother, said he believes the state is intent on putting his brother to death this time... "It would be kind of like standing in front of someone with a loaded weapon and you're wondering if they're going to shoot you," he said.

Poor choice of words. One wonders if Police Lt. Ronnie Oliver was not thinking that very thing before Philip Workman gunned him down.

[Lurker]

An Associated Press review found the manual was a jumble of conflicting instructions that mixed lethal injection instructions with those for the old electric chair.

So you'd either be really, really dead or nothing at all would happen.

Step 1.-Insert needle.

Step 2.-Plug in Chair.

Steo 3.-.....

L

[rockabyebaby]

Take him out back and pop a round in his head. Simple.

Excellent solution, excellent indeed!

[beaversmom]

I noticed the cigarette too. Just seems so odd to me now that we’ve been conditioned against smoking.

[SittinYonder]

The poor shmuck killed a “colored police officer”

What are you talking about? Is Workman supposed to be a "poor shmuck" because the cop was black? Killing a cop is killing a cop, and it's long past time that Workman be punished for it.

[Mr. K]

"He wounded one officer and shot at a second, but he contends another officer's bullet accidentally killed police Lt. Ronald Oliver

so, he would have killed the officer if he was a better shot, but the other officer did it accidentally while defending themselves from him... is that the logic he is using?

[Mr. K]

if anyone is interested, the ‘American Spectator’ often gives a cheery, restaraunt-style review of the last meal

[Still Thinking]

An Associated Press review found the manual was a jumble of conflicting instructions that mixed lethal injection instructions with those for the old electric chair.

Well, that could form the basis for an execution protocol: lethal injection while being electrocuted. ;-)

[jerri]

"You can't move if you're in pain. You can't bat your eyelashes. You can't do anything."

Well, I guess he should of thought that one out before going out and robbing people at gunpoint and shooting police officers. I doubt it is painless getting shot. What a friggin cry baby!

[Still Thinking]

"The fact that they're continuing to use a protocol, a three-chemical cocktail that's been criticized throughout the county, just illustrates the state is not willing to take a serious look at the problems," he said.

So unless the state puts a moratorium on executions till there is not even one death penalty opponent willing to criticize their methods, they're not serious about getting it right? That seems like setting the bar impossibly high.

[ustanker]

I say hang him on pay-per view!

[Gay State Conservative]

"He wounded one officer and shot at a second, but he contends another officer's bullet accidentally killed police Lt. Ronald Oliver.

Even if this is true my understanding is that under the laws of at least some states he's still guilty of first degree murder and,as a result,still qualifies for the hot shot.

[geezerwheezer]

You forgot that they could be shot or hanged at the same time too! Great idea.....