Tennessee prisons official resigns after Christa Pike’s failed US execution

The state’s governor said Frank Strada would step down as an independent review examines what went wrong.The official in charge of the prison system in the US state of Tennessee has resigned just days after overseeing the botched execution of Christa Pike.The state’s governor, Bill Lee, announced on Saturday that Tennessee-department-of-correction" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="131100" data-entity-type="organization">Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Frank Strada would step down from his role later this month, a decision Lee described as necessary after the stunning failure.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Execution of US woman Christa Pike fails after botched lethal injectionlist 2 of 3Christa Pike execution fails: What next when a lethal injection is botched?list 3 of 3Christa Pike unconscious, on ventilator after botched execution: Lawyersend of list“Commissioner Strada has served with integrity, and I appreciate his willingness to put the interests of Tennesseans first during this difficult moment”, Lee said in a statement. “I have accepted his decision to step down and am grateful for his commitment to ensuring a smooth leadership transition”.A replacement for Strada was not announced.Strada, who started his role in Tennessee three years ago, previously served as a top official in Arizona’s corrections department where multiple executions on his watch faced complications. He said he was resigning “in the best interest of Tennesseans” as an independent review examines what went wrong.“I believe this review is entirely appropriate and necessary, and I look forward to doing everything I can to help determine exactly what occurred,” Strada said in a statement that defended his department’s handling of Pike’s execution.Pike was transported from prison to hospital on Wednesday after surviving two injections of the drug pentobarbital, which Tennessee uses to execute prisoners.Strada’s resignation was “justified”, Pike’s lawyers said in a statement. “But it does nothing to help Christa now.”