Cop killer executed by firing squad in South Carolina

Mikal Mahdi, a man convicted of murdering an off-duty police officer in 2004, has been executed by firing squad at the Broad River Correctional Institution in South Carolina. This marks only the second use of this execution method in the U.S. in the last 15 years, as Mahdi experienced visible pain after the shots hit him, groaning for minutes before being pronounced dead.

Witnesses to the execution noted Mahdi’s distress, as he had chosen this method over lethal injection or electrocution, describing the alternatives as “barbaric.” His final meal included ribeye steak and cheesecake, and just a month prior, another inmate was executed in the same manner, reflecting South Carolina’s recent push to resume executions after a long hiatus. Legal experts continue to debate the implications of firing squad executions in a modern context.

Read full story at metro.co.uk