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Alabama Executes Man For Killing Three Police Officers
March 6, 2020
Alabama death row inmate Nathaniel Woods, 43, was executed Thursday night by lethal injection at the Holman Correctional Facility. The execution was carried out at 8:38 p.m. Woods was pronounced dead at 9:01 p.m.
Woods was sentenced to death for the 2004 capital murder of three Birmingham Police Officers in Jefferson County. Woods did not give a final statement.
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey released the following statement following the execution:
“On June 17, 2004, four Birmingham police officers went to the apartment of Nathaniel Woods, a known drug dealer, to issue a warrant of arrest. Unfortunately, only one of those officers lived to recount the horrendous assault upon him and his fellow officers.
As explained by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals, the evidence showed that Woods was an integral participant in the intentional murder of these three officers. On the day the officers were killed, Mr. Woods talked to others about killing police officers; he taunted the officers and lured them into his apartment, where he knew they would be met by gunfire; he pointed the gunman to the third police officer; and he escaped with the gunman.
“Each officer died of multiple gunshot wounds. Two officers were shot in the back and one in the head, and none of the officers had an opportunity to discharge return fire. In fact, one officer’s weapon was still holstered.
“The state offered the testimony of 39 witnesses at Woods’ capital murder trial, including Officer Michael Collins, 25 other law enforcement officers, and forensic experts. There is no evidence, and no argument has been made, that Nathaniel Woods tried to stop the gunman from committing these heinous crimes. In fact, he later bragged about his participation in these horrific murders. As such, the jury did not view Woods’ acts as those of an innocent bystander; they believed that he was a fully engaged participant.
“A jury of Mr. Woods’ peers convicted him of four counts of capital murder. In the past 15 years, his conviction has been reviewed at least nine times, and no court has found any reason to overturn the jury’s decision.
“Under Alabama law, someone who helps kill a police officer is just as guilty as the person who directly commits the crime. Since 1983, Alabama has executed two individuals for being an accomplice to capital murder.
“After thorough and careful consideration of the facts surrounding the case, the initial jury’s decision, the many legal challenges and reviews, I concluded that the state of Alabama should carry out Mr. Woods’ lawfully imposed sentence this evening.
“This is not a decision that I take lightly, but I firmly believe in the rule of law and that justice must be served. My thoughts and most sincere prayers are for the families of Officers Chisholm, Owen and Bennett. May the God of all comfort be with these families as they continue to find peace and heal from this terrible crime.”
Comments
12 Responses to “Alabama Executes Man For Killing Three Police Officers”
The people have spoken, the will of the people has been exercised.
There is a lesson here, in don’t murder and kill, avoid the unpleasantries of incarceration and death by execution. Save your family and the families of other’s anguish, despair, heartbreak.
Finally justice was served. I don’t believe there should be any other option that death for those who deliberately harm any First Responder. I pray this man made peace with God and that he has entered God’s rest and I pray for his family. He made his choice and he paid the price.
JTV, thanks, my sentiments exactly.
Great… Eye for an eye.
Next
@ i can’t believe this…you are right..every life is a gift
Not this evil persons right to take the 3 officers gift from them and the families gift from them.
Eye for an eye
Justice is served
The End
@i can’t believe this;
Nathaniel was indeed a sacred gift from God when he was in his mother’s womb. But then Nathaniel made the conscience decision to participate in the cold-blooded murder of three police officers and the attempted murder of another. While he may not have pulled the trigger, he was just as guilty as the man who did. In the sixteen years since, his case has been reviewed by at least nine different courts. I’m sure that Jeffery Dahmer, Ted Bundy, Adolf Hitler, and John Wayne Gacy were all considered “sacred gifts from God” when they were born as well, but yet they chose to do such heinous acts within their lives that forfeited their right to live. As did Nathaniel Woods. So please spare me the moral lecture on how one cannot possibly be pro-life and pro-death penalty. If you honestly cannot see the difference in slaughtering an innocent baby and executing a cold-blooded murderer, then I don’t know how to explain the difference to you. And, yes, I will remember Kay Ivey in the next election. She’s certainly got my vote!
Respectfully responding to “i can’t believe this.”:
I’ll give you the reason that “pro-life” can be ok with the death penalty for murder. It’s because unborn babies are INNOCENT and the convicted murderer is GUILTY. That’s the simple reason. GUILTY vs INNOCENT.
This man choose to involve himself in murder of police officers. Therefore he was lawfully convicted of this crime. Every conviction of murder should result in a death penalty execution in my opinion.
16 years ago he and another took the time to cause about evil.
He was given 16 years to get his life in order. Those 3 police officers did not get that much time.
He should have asked for forgiveness and confessed so that all could hear that way all sides can have closure. But he chose again to do a selfish act and say nothing..
So I have nothing for him.
Burn in hell
John, that’s not the issue. There was an issue when the state of Alabama refused to open an internal investigation after the real perpetrator confessed to the crime. And another thing, please don’t get on here preaching about how your ‘pro-life,’ but advocating for the death penalty. How can someone be ‘pro life’ and ‘pro death Penalty’? Gov Kay Ivey will forever have this young man’s blood on her hands, and I hope you Alabamians remember this when it’s time to vote in 2022. What the governor did was so wrong, especially after she tweeted “ every life is a sacred gift from God.” She contradicted her whole statement. May God rest his beautiful soul.
Chile, MLK is turning in his grave right now.
I said what I said.
I feel for the families of these officers. Especially having to wait almost 16 years to see justice carried out, which is really a form of injustice.
I can’t possibly conceive why anyone would feel he received death wrongfully. The fact he gave no statement only galvanizes my opinion on the whole situation.