So George is given a knock out drug, loses conciousness as he pleads for breathe. Knee is firm but not deadly. He is thrown onto gurney and into ambulance as the optics scream MURDER.
Did he die? why not? Why keep him alive? the chattle are expendable. Plenty more where that came from.
Does not have to be a real death to be traumatic.
Plus leaving George alive would just muck up the long term success of such an op.
the lack of resuscitation does tend to make one think expanded like.