Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, was stabbed and seriously injured in prison on Friday.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the incident took place at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, though they did not name the inmate in the statement. “Life-saving measures” were undertaken and he was transferred to a hospital for further treatment.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, a Democrat, said he was “sad” to hear of the attack.
“I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence,” he said through a spokesperson, reports The Washington Post. “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.”
There is little information so far about the incident.
Gregory M. Erickson, one of Chauvin’s appellate court lawyers, said he has repeatedly reached out to the Bureau of Prisons for information about the attack but has been “stonewalled.”
“I have reached out to the prison six times, asked to speak to somebody, and each time I was rebuffed,” said Erickson, who learned of the assault from media reports.
Erickson said he continues to worry about Chauvin’s safety in prison.
The Associated Press reported that last November, in a low-security section of the prison, another inmate pulled out a gun and attempted to shoot a visitor.
“We would be insane not to be concerned about his safety, particularly when this facility has been compromised before,” Erickson said. “This is not the first instance of something happening, including a guy who got a gun.” (WaPo)
The attack came after the Supreme Court on Monday rejected his appeal of his second-degree murder charge. He is separately appealing his federal conviction on violating Floyd’s constitutional rights.