A chair sits in the execution chamber at the Utah State Prison (Image: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Idaho is seeking volunteer police officers to carry out state executions by firing squad, as eight death row inmates await their fate.
On Wednesday, Idaho became the only state in the US to adopt a firing squad — in which a group of armed officers shoot a condemned inmate — as its default method of execution. The move comes roughly a year after officials botched the lethal injection of convicted murderer Thomas Eugene Creech.
Republican Governor Brad Little, who is seeking a third term this November, signed two firing squad-related bills into law. The introduction of the new legislation was pushed back to 2025 to give state officials sufficient time to reconstruct the execution chamber.
Officials have now unveiled a chilling blueprint detailing precisely how these capital punishment procedures will be carried out, with prisons instructed to recruit volunteer police officers rather than specialist executioners. The plan also makes provision for a second round of gunfire should an inmate survive the initial volley.
Three primary volunteer officers will be tasked with delivering fatal shots, supported by two alternates on standby. A sixth volunteer will serve as team leader, responsible for loading the rifles and overseeing the execution.
Who will be executing inmates by firing squad?
In accordance with state law, all volunteers will remain anonymous, with only the prison director and deputy director privy to their identities.
To qualify as a volunteer officer, recruits must be certified Idaho law enforcement officers holding a Peace Officer Standards and Training certification. Furthermore, any disciplinary findings involving excessive force or the deployment of firearms will serve as grounds for disqualification.
Volunteer officers cannot be related by blood or marriage to the inmate, victim, or either family involved. Prospective recruits will also undergo marksmanship assessments during firearm qualification tests, where they must consistently strike a heart-sized target without missing.
FILE – An Idaho department of corrections vehicle patrols the Idaho State prison complex near Kuna, Idaho on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. In 2022, with two more planned executions in the works, lawmakers expanded Idaho’s already extensive execution secrecy laws so that even a judge could not force them to release certain information. Now, the botched execution of Thomas Eugene Creech this week is refocusing attention on how the most basic details about executions are shrouded in secrecy in many states with the death penalty. (AP Photo/Kyle Green, File) (Image: AP)
Where is the firing squad execution chamber?
The state executions will take place in the refurbished Maximum Security Institution south of Boise, where taxpayers have funded $1.2 million to upgrade the state’s execution chamber.
Construction costs are estimated to exceed $900,000, while architectural design and engineering services reportedly account for another $314,000.
The Idaho State prison complex near Kuna, Idaho, is shown on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Idaho halted the execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech on Wednesday after medical team members repeatedly failed to find a vein where they could establish an intravenous line to carry out the lethal injection. (AP Photo/Kyle Green) (Image: AP)
Which guns will be used for executing prisoners by firing squad?
Spending a further $24,000, Idaho officials also purchased five Daniel Defense DD5-P rifles that fire. 308 Winchester rounds, along with scopes, suppressors and bipods.
The rifle model is “engineered for reliability in demanding conditions,” according to the manufacturer’s website. It is constructed with components specifically designed to minimise recoil.
The inmate scheduled for execution will also be administered a light sedative on the day of the execution and potentially a few hours beforehand as well.