Nashville, Tennessee – After the botched execution of Christa Pike in Tennessee, it took about 30 minutes for prison officials to confirm the medical emergency, 911 calls have now revealed.

The first emergency call was placed at 8:40 PM local time, according to a transcript released by US media – about an hour after the execution began, per CNN.

The caller said that Pike was still alive despite being given two lethal doses of pentobarbital.

The dispatch center asked for a security code, which the caller could not provide. As a result, the call was classified as a false alarm at 9:03 PM. Even after a follow‑up inquiry, the prison's central dispatch initially reported no emergency.

At 9:08 PM, Pike's attorney, Kelly Gleason, placed another emergency call. She explained that her client was unresponsive, still breathing, and urgently needed life‑saving measures. The prison authorities didn't acknowledge the crisis until 9:11 PM.

At 9:34 PM, emergency responders transported Pike to the hospital in critical condition.

According to Pike's lawyer, Randy Spivey, staff had spent about an hour unsuccessfully trying to establish an IV line. Spivey reported numerous punctures, a bent needle, and a purple discoloration of the right arm. Blisters and burns had also formed around the injection sites.

Pike initially had to be put on a ventilator. She regained consciousness shortly before she was to be disconnected from life‑support due to a presumed brain death. She has since been discharged from the hospital and returned to the women's prison in Nashville.

Whether Tennessee will attempt another execution remains uncertain. Pike's attorneys see potential constitutional objections, including the prohibition on double jeopardy and the ban on cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment.

Unlike previous failed executions, the drugs intended for Pike were actually administered.

Lawyers view this as a significant distinction from cases where an execution was halted before the drugs were given. Whether these circumstances can legally prevent another attempt remains to be seen.

Possible lasting health effects have also not been definitively determined. Pike's defense points to severe psychological trauma and potential cognitive damage, the extent of which may only become clear in the coming months.

Following the incident, Governor Bill Lee ordered a temporary halt to all executions in Tennessee and called for an independent investigation. Frank Strada, the head of the prison system, announced his resignation.

The case has intensified the fierce debate over the death penalty in the US and has raised questions about the reliability and possible cruelty of execution procedures.