Derek Chauvin, George Floyd's killer may survive the prison stabbing, Officials claim
Derek Chauvin, former police officer convicted in George Floyd's death, stabbed and wounded in prison, but expected to be out of danger now.
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck, was stabbed by another inmate in a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday. He is expected to survive the attack, according to officials.
Chauvin, 47, was convicted of second-degree murder and federal civil rights violation for the death of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, on 25 May 2020. Floyd's death sparked global protests against racism and police brutality. Chauvin was sentenced to 22 ½ years in prison for the state charge and 21 years for the federal charge, to be served concurrently.
Chauvin was assaulted by another prisoner at around 12.30pm local time on Friday, the Associated Press reported. He was critically wounded and taken to a hospital, where he received "life-saving measures" from prison staff. The US prisons bureau, which has custody of Chauvin, did not identify the attacker or provide details about the incident, citing security and privacy reasons.
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The prison where Chauvin was stabbed has been plagued by staffing shortages and security breaches. It was the second high-profile stabbing of a federal inmate in less than six months, following the attack on Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics doctor who sexually abused hundreds of girls and women, in a Florida prison in July.
In November last year, an inmate at the Tucson prison managed to get a gun and tried to shoot a visitor in the head, but the weapon malfunctioned. No one was injured in the incident.
Chauvin's lawyers had argued that he should be kept away from the general population of the prison, fearing that he would be a target for violence. They also complained that federal prison officials had not communicated with them or Chauvin's family about his condition, forcing them to rely on media reports for updates.
"I view this lack of communication ... as completely outrageous," Chauvin attorney Gregory Erickson said in a statement to the AP.
“It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek's assault was allowed to happen.”
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Minnesota state attorney general Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted Chauvin, condemned the stabbing, saying, "He was duly convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated individual, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence."