Nevada death row inmate placed on suicide watch

SGS orthophoto of Ely State Prison near Ely, Nevada, United States (Photo By United States Geological Survey (USGS) – USGS The National Map, via MSR Maps (formerly TerraServer-USA)http://msrmaps.com/download.aspx?T=1&S=10&Z=11&X=3387&Y=21807&W=3, Public Domain)

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A death row inmate scheduled to become the first executed in Nevada in 11 years was placed on suicide watch for several days because he said he’ll kill himself if the state won’t do it.

Nevada Department of Corrections spokeswoman Brooke Keast says Scott Dozier was placed on suicide watch as a protective measure on Thursday because he told prison staff he would “kill himself if the execution didn’t take place.” She said Tuesday he was removed from suicide watch on Monday.

Dozier was scheduled to die Tuesday at the Ely State Prison but the execution was postponed after a judge in Las Vegas ordered a paralytic drug removed from a never-before-used lethal injection plan.

The state is appealing. Clark County District Judge Jennifer Togliatti set a Dec. 7 date to check the status of the case.