Nathaniel Woods, Alabama


Updated: Thursday, March 5, 2020

Alabama has carried out the execution of Nathaniel Woods.  Read more here.

Updated: Thursday, March 5, 2020

The Supreme Court of the United States has lifted the temporary stay of execution they granted while reviewing Nathaniel Woods' case.  Governor Kay Ivey has also refused to halt the execution of Nathaniel.

Updated: Thursday, March 5, 2020

The Supreme Court of the United States has issued a temporary stay of execution while they review his case.  The stay of execution could be lifted tonight, allowing the execution to proceed.  

Updated: Wednesday, March 4, 2020

The 11th Circuit US Court of Appeals has rejected a request to halt the execution of Nathaniel Woods.  Woods was appealing a ruling from a lower court that also refused to stay his execution, wherein he challenged the method of execution, and his execution, by the state of Alabama.  

Updated: Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Chief U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Alabama Emily Marks has refused a request to halt the execution the Nathaniel Woods.  In denying the request, Judge Marks noted that Woods waited until ten days before his execution to file a stay of execution request, despite the execution date being set well before then.  In his request to halt his execution, Woods argued that he was unfairly targeted for execution because he did not sign up for a new execution method that Alabama is developing; execution by nitrogen hypoxia.  Woods argued that the state forcing death row inmates to choose a method of execution is "unlawful and unconstitutional."

Updated: Monday, March 2, 2020

Nathaniel Woods is scheduled to be executed at 6 pm local time on Thursday, March 5, 2020, at the Holeman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. Forty-four-year-old Nathaniel was sentenced to death for his part in the murder of three Birmingham police officers: 58-year-old Carlos Owen, 40-year-old Harley Chisholm III, and 33-year-old Charles Robert Bennett. Nathaniel has spent the last 14 years on death row in Alabama.

Nathaniel was spent most of his life in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he went to high school.

On June 17, 2004, Birmingham police officers Carlos Owen, Harley A. Chisholm III, Charles R. Bennett and Michael Collins were serving an arrest warrant on Nathaniel Woods at an apartment in Birmingham, Alabama. Woods had been spotted and identified earlier by the police at that location. The arrest warrant was for assault.

A man outside the apartment before the attempted arrest told the police that he wanted no part of what was going to take place. Officers Owen and Collins went to the rear door, while Officers Chisholm and Bennett approached the front door. Woods approached the rear door, which still had its screen door shut. Officer Owen informed Woods of the outstanding warrant. Woods responded in a derogatory manner, claiming there was no warrant.

Officer Chisholm came to the back door and showed Woods the warrant with his photo. Woods denied being the man in photo, threatened the officers and taunted them to come and get him, before retreating further inside the apartment. Officer Chisholm opened the screen door to enter the apartment, followed by Officers Owen and Collins. The officers attempted to take Woods into custody and Officer Collins heard Woods say, “Don’t spray me with that mace.” Around the same time, Officer Collins heard a radio transmission from Officer Bennet saying, “They are coming out the front.”


Officer Collins was leaving the apartment through the back door to go assist Officer Bennet out front, when he heard gunfire from inside the apartment. After a few seconds, Officer Collins issued a radio broadcast: “Shots fired. Double aught. Officer down.” Officer Collins took cover behind his patrol car, and saw a male, later determined to be Kerry Spencer, shooting a rifle.


As the officers were attempting to arrest Woods, Spencer appeared with the rifle and began shooting. Officers Owen and Chisholm were shot multiple times. Woods told Spencer about the officer out front, Bennett, and Spencer shot him multiple times. Spencer and Woods then fled to a friend’s house nearby, where they were overheard talking about the shooting and not appearing upset over it.


The police mounted a massive manhunt to capture Spencer and Woods, who were arrested later that day. Officers Owen, Chisholm, and Bennet died from their injuries. Officer Collins received minor physical injuries.


According to testimony presented at Woods’ trial, the apartment in which officers were attempting to arrest Woods, was known drug house, usually having 100-150 customers a day. Several weapons were discovered laying around inside the apartment.


Spencer and Woods were both charged with murder and sentenced to death.


Pray for the families of the Carlos Owen, Harley Chisholm III, and Charles Robert Bennett. Pray for Michael Collins. Pray that if Nathaniel Woods is innocent, lacks the competency to be executed, or should not be executed for any other reasons that evidence will be provided prior to his execution. Pray that Nathaniel may come to find peace through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, if he has not already.



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