Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in the killing of George Floyd, is reportedly in stable condition after being stabbed in an Arizona prison.
Confirmation of the incident came from both the city’s police chief and Minnesota’s attorney general. Chauvin, a white officer, is serving multiple sentences for the death of George Floyd, a Black man, which sparked widespread protests against police brutality and racism.
According to a source, the 47-year-old Chauvin sustained serious injuries from another inmate. The Bureau of Prisons acknowledged the stabbing, stating that it occurred at a federal prison in Tucson around 12:30 local time on Friday.
Prison staff contained the situation, administered “life-saving measures” to the injured inmate, and then transported them to the hospital. The identity of the assailant was not disclosed, and there were no reported injuries to anyone else.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, as reported by CNN, verified the stabbing and noted that Chauvin’s condition is currently stable.
“I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence,” Mr Ellison told CNN, in a statement from his office.
“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.” The state attorney general’s office had prosecuted Chauvin in the George Floyd case.
News of Chauvin’s condition was confirmed by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who told local TV station KSTP-TV that he received the update from “federal law enforcement partners”.
“We’re thankful that he’s in a stable condition,” he said, adding “Anyone who’s assaulted like this, regardless of what they’ve been accused of, deserves to be safe and that’s certainly not cause for any celebration.”
The news comes days after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Chauvin, in which it was argued that he had not received a fair trial for the killing of Mr. Floyd – who died after the former officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes in 2020.
The killing in Minneapolis – captured on a bystander’s phone camera – sparked global outrage and a wave of demonstrations against racial injustice and police use of force.
Chauvin was later found guilty of Mr. Floyd’s murder and sentenced to 22 years in prison. He was given a further 20-year sentence in July 2022 for violating Mr Floyd’s civil rights.
