US: Christa Pike's Failed Execution Reignites Death Penalty Debate
Christa Pike, 50, sentenced to death in the US for a 1995 murder, survived two lethal injections on 30 September. The BBC asked Americans and tourists in Washington DC what they think about capital punishment.
In the United States, 50-year-old Christa Pike, who was sentenced to death for murder, survived two lethal injections on 30 September. Experts have described the case as unprecedented. The failed execution has reignited debate over capital punishment and how it is used in the country.
What happened
Pike was convicted of killing Colleen Slemmer in 1995, a crime she committed together with her then-boyfriend. After the execution attempt ended without the death of the convicted woman, the question of whether such a punishment is acceptable, and how it is carried out, has returned to the national agenda.
The BBC's street interviews in Washington
BBC journalists in Washington DC, the US capital, spoke to local residents as well as international tourists about their views on the death penalty. The video report presents people's opinions on a punishment that the United States still applies.
The video was produced by Meiying Wu. The BBC has also published a fuller report on Pike's case.
