Cop convicted in George Floyd killing stabbed in prison
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted in the death of George Floyd, was stabbed in federal prison on Friday and seriously injured, the Associated Press said, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Floyd’s death in 2020 unleashed a wave of protests worldwide against police brutality and racism after Chauvin, who is white, knelt on the handcuffed Black man’s neck for more than nine minutes in a murder caught on cell phone video.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed an unidentified inmate was assaulted at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson in Arizona, but declined to confirm if it was Chauvin.
Chauvin, 47, was stabbed by another inmate at the prison, the news agency said, citing a source who was not authorized to discuss the attack.
Initiated life-saving measures
The New York Times also reported Chavin was stabbed, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.
In its statement, the Bureau said employees of the medium security prison responded to the attack and “initiated life-saving measures” for one individual, who was taken by emergency to a hospital for treatment.
Zach Graham, a lawyer on the defense team at Chauvin’s trial, said the firm, Minneapolis-based Halberg Criminal Defense, had no comment on the reported stabbing.
A member of Chauvin’s appellate team, Greg Erickson, said he had no knowledge of such an incident.
Chauvin is serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, as well as a concurrent 22-1/2 years for murder on his conviction in Minnesota state court. —REUTERS
