U.S. Supreme court halts execution for Alabama man convicted of killing three police officers

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday halted the execution of an Alabama man just minutes before he was due to be put to death for his role in the 2004 killing of three police officers at his apartment where they were attempting to arrest him for dealing drugs.

Nathaniel Woods, 43, was to be executed by lethal injection at 6 p.m. CST (0000 GMT) at the Holman Correctional Facility in Atmore, Alabama. He was convicted for the murders of Birmingham police officers Carlos Owen, Harley Chisholm and Charles Bennett.