Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted of murdering George Floyd in 2020, was stabbed by another inmate at an Arizona federal prison on Friday, November 24, 2023.
Chauvin was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, a medium-security facility, in August 2022 after pleading guilty to federal civil rights charges and receiving a 21-year sentence. He was already serving a 22 ½-year sentence for his state conviction on murder and manslaughter charges. Chauvin, who is white, killed Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe. Floyd’s death sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and racism. Chauvin’s stabbing was reported by multiple news outlets, citing anonymous sources.
The details of the incident, such as the identity and motive of the attacker, the extent of Chauvin’s injuries, and the security measures taken after the assault, were not immediately available. The Bureau of Prisons declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy, safety and security concerns.
It is not unusual for a high-profile convict to be attacked while serving out a prison sentence. Chauvin’s stabbing is the second high-profile attack on a federal prisoner in the last five months. In July, disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar was stabbed by a fellow inmate at a federal penitentiary in Florida.
