George Floyd’s killer stabbed in prison
Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis cop convicted of the on-duty murder of George Floyd, has been stabbed by a fellow inmate in federal prison, the Associated Press reported, noting that he sustained serious injuries.
The attack reportedly took place at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona on Friday afternoon, a source familiar with the incident told the AP.
The US Bureau of Prisons has confirmed that an inmate was assaulted at the facility on Friday, though did not provide a name, only saying the victim received “life-saving measures” before they were taken to a hospital for treatment. The AP source added that Chauvin was “seriously injured” in the attack, though the extent of his injuries are unclear.
Chauvin was transferred to the Tucson prison from a maximum-security facility in Minnesota last year, set to serve out two sentences simultaneously: a 22.5-year conviction for Floyd’s murder and a separate 21-year sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights.
Floyd lost his life in police custody, detained on suspicion of passing off a counterfeit $20 bill at a corner store in Minneapolis. Chauvin was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes in footage of the altercation.
The video sparked nationwide outrage, with protests and riots erupting across hundreds of American cities throughout the summer of 2020.
Floyd’s final words, “I can’t breathe,” became a rallying cry for demonstrators, with the Black Lives Matter movement deeming Floyd’s death an example of “racist” policing. Medical examiners ruled that fentanyl and methamphetamine found in his system had nothing to do with his death.
Chauvin's defense team has moved to overturn his convictions, arguing their client did not cause Floyd's death, but the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal to his murder sentence last week. A separate appeal for his federal civil rights charge is still ongoing.
