Derek Chauvin: Officer who killed George Floyd stabbed in federal prison
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Derek Chauvin is escorted by a police officer on Sept. 11, 2020. Photo: David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images
Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, was stabbed in federal prison in Arizona on Friday, a spokesperson for Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison confirmed to Axios.
Driving the news: The Bureau of Prisons confirmed to Axios that an unnamed inmate had been assaulted around 12:30 pm local time Friday and that prison staff has performed "life-saving measures" before the inmate was transported to the hospital.
- The AP was first to report that Chauvin had been stabbed.
- While the Bureau of Prisons did not confirm the inmate's identity, Ellison told the Star Tribune he had been notified that Chauvin had survived a stabbing attack and was in stable condition.
- "I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence. 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," Ellison told the Star Tribune.
Catch up fast: Chauvin was transferred to the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson in 2022 to serve a sentence of more than 20 years for state and federal charges related to Floyd's May 2020 death.
- A jury in Minnesota found him guilty of murder and manslaughter in April 2021. He pleaded guilty later that year in a federal case alleging he violated Floyd's civil rights.
What they're saying: Gregory Erickson, an attorney with a firm that has represented Chauvin, wrote in an email to reporters on Saturday that the prison has not provided the firm's lawyers or Chauvin's direct family with "any updates on his condition or his current location."
- "As an outsider, I view this lack of communication with his attorneys and family members as completely outrageous," he wrote, noting that those seeking updates included Chauvin's medical power of attorney and his emergency contact. "It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek's assault was allowed to happen."
- Erickson, who represented Chauvin in a civil suit, said while Chauvin's family members "assume he is stable because of a third-party report... they are understandably doubtful because of the lack of transparency that has permeated this ordeal."
Between the lines: A different lawyer for Chauvin, Eric Nelson, had previously argued that he should be kept out of the general prison population, AP reports.
- He wrote in court papers that Chauvin spent "much of his time in solitary confinement, largely for his own protection" while in a Minnesota prison facility.
Of note: Chauvin has sought to overturn both his conviction and his guilty plea.
- The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined a request to review the state murder conviction.
Zoom out: The stabbing is the latest high-profile security incident for the federal prison system, the AP reports. Larry Nassar, the former sports doctor convicted of sexually abusing gymnasts, was stabbed at a federal facility in Florida in July, one month after Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski died by suicide at a prison medical center.
- The Tucson prison where Chauvin was held has also experienced security issues and staff shortages, per the AP.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from Chauvin's former attorney.
