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Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, was stabbed by another inmate and seriously injured at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona.
This medium-security prison has experienced security lapses and staffing shortages. The Bureau of Prisons confirmed the assault, stating that life-saving measures were performed before the unnamed inmate was hospitalized.
The FBI has been notified, and visiting the facility, housing about 380 inmates, is suspended. Chauvin, aged 47, is serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a 22½-year state sentence for second-degree murder. His lawyer had previously advocated for keeping him out of the general population for his protection.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction, and he is making a bid to overturn his federal guilty plea, claiming new evidence. George Floyd’s death in 2020, captured on video showing Chauvin pressing a knee on his neck, ignited global protests and a national reckoning with police brutality and racism.
Three other officers at the scene received lesser sentences for their roles in Floyd’s death. The recent stabbing incident reflects ongoing issues within the Bureau of Prisons, which has been scrutinized for its inability to ensure the safety of high-profile prisoners.
