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American Morning

No Violence in Wake of Florida Execution

Aired September 04, 2003 - 08:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Turning now to Florida, where Florida abortion clinics have increased their security in the wake of the execution of Paul Hill. He was put to death yesterday for the murder of a doctor and his bodyguard at a Pensacola abortion clinic.
CNN's Brian Cabell witnessed the execution by lethal injection.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It didn't take long. Six minutes after three chemicals flowed into Paul Hill's body, he was declared dead in Florida's death chamber.

He gave a brief statement as he lay on a gurney, strapped in, face up. He said, "If you believe abortion is a lethal force you should oppose the force. Do what you have to do to stop it. May God help you to protect the unborn as you would want to be protected."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ultimate sacrifice that he is making for each one of us gathered.

CABELL: Outside, across from the prison, about 40 protesters gathered, most of them opponents of abortion and supporters of Hill. Some said his crime, a double murder, was nothing more than justifiable homicide.

REV. MICHAEL BRAY, PROTESTOR: It's just like our soldiers hate to shoot those Iraqi men. They don't necessarily like to shoot them. But they know they've got a job to do. And this was a job to do.

CABELL: Security around the prison was extremely high all day. There was concern because last month four Florida officials, including the state attorney general, received threatening letters, with references to the Hill case.

Women's clinics around the nation are on alert, as well.

MONA REIS, WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTER DIRECTOR: We continue to never disregard the possibility that this could happen, and we have to continue forward in the work that we do. That we believe so strongly in.

CABELL: Hill, a former Presbyterian minister, shot and killed a doctor who provided abortions, and a bodyguard nine years ago in Pensacola. He admitted the shootings, called it his duty as a Christian.

He left behind a wife and three children, whom he said on Tuesday he had prepared for his death.

PAUL HILL, EXECUTED FOR MURDER: I would explain to them that I -- I did what I thought was the responsible thing, and that it has caused them a great loss, and I'm just trusting the Lord will console them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABELL: There had been concern about violence at women's clinics overnight across the nation. Apparently nothing has happened. I think it's important to note, Soledad, that all mainstream anti- abortion groups have rejected Paul Hill's violence.

O'BRIEN: Brian, a quick question for you. I was told that this is the first execution that you have ever witnessed, and so I'm wondering, you know, give me a sense of what it was like to witness something like that.

CABELL: I'll tell you, the most difficult part, frankly, for me, was when I first walked into the room and then they locked the door. And there were 33 of us locked in a very small room.

It was almost a miniature movie theater with a curtain that opened up at exactly 6, and there you saw him lying on a gurney strapped down, face up, giving his speech.

After that -- at that point, then, I'd say my reporter's instincts took over. But initially you're just sitting there waiting for something very dramatic. And it was a -- I felt a little queasy and I think some others did, too.

The entire process after that only lasted six or seven minutes and again, as a reporter I was simply observing what happened. And at 6:08 it was all over with.

O'BRIEN: Brian Cabell, thanks for that Brian. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 4, 2003 - 08:30   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, ANCHOR: Turning now to Florida, where Florida abortion clinics have increased their security in the wake of the execution of Paul Hill. He was put to death yesterday for the murder of a doctor and his bodyguard at a Pensacola abortion clinic.
CNN's Brian Cabell witnessed the execution by lethal injection.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It didn't take long. Six minutes after three chemicals flowed into Paul Hill's body, he was declared dead in Florida's death chamber.

He gave a brief statement as he lay on a gurney, strapped in, face up. He said, "If you believe abortion is a lethal force you should oppose the force. Do what you have to do to stop it. May God help you to protect the unborn as you would want to be protected."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The ultimate sacrifice that he is making for each one of us gathered.

CABELL: Outside, across from the prison, about 40 protesters gathered, most of them opponents of abortion and supporters of Hill. Some said his crime, a double murder, was nothing more than justifiable homicide.

REV. MICHAEL BRAY, PROTESTOR: It's just like our soldiers hate to shoot those Iraqi men. They don't necessarily like to shoot them. But they know they've got a job to do. And this was a job to do.

CABELL: Security around the prison was extremely high all day. There was concern because last month four Florida officials, including the state attorney general, received threatening letters, with references to the Hill case.

Women's clinics around the nation are on alert, as well.

MONA REIS, WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTER DIRECTOR: We continue to never disregard the possibility that this could happen, and we have to continue forward in the work that we do. That we believe so strongly in.

CABELL: Hill, a former Presbyterian minister, shot and killed a doctor who provided abortions, and a bodyguard nine years ago in Pensacola. He admitted the shootings, called it his duty as a Christian.

He left behind a wife and three children, whom he said on Tuesday he had prepared for his death.

PAUL HILL, EXECUTED FOR MURDER: I would explain to them that I -- I did what I thought was the responsible thing, and that it has caused them a great loss, and I'm just trusting the Lord will console them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABELL: There had been concern about violence at women's clinics overnight across the nation. Apparently nothing has happened. I think it's important to note, Soledad, that all mainstream anti- abortion groups have rejected Paul Hill's violence.

O'BRIEN: Brian, a quick question for you. I was told that this is the first execution that you have ever witnessed, and so I'm wondering, you know, give me a sense of what it was like to witness something like that.

CABELL: I'll tell you, the most difficult part, frankly, for me, was when I first walked into the room and then they locked the door. And there were 33 of us locked in a very small room.

It was almost a miniature movie theater with a curtain that opened up at exactly 6, and there you saw him lying on a gurney strapped down, face up, giving his speech.

After that -- at that point, then, I'd say my reporter's instincts took over. But initially you're just sitting there waiting for something very dramatic. And it was a -- I felt a little queasy and I think some others did, too.

The entire process after that only lasted six or seven minutes and again, as a reporter I was simply observing what happened. And at 6:08 it was all over with.

O'BRIEN: Brian Cabell, thanks for that Brian. Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com