(Reuters) – Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, convicted of causing the death of George Floyd in May 2020, was seriously injured after being stabbed in a federal prison on Friday, the Associated Press reported , citing a person familiar with the matter.
The death of George Floyd sparked a vast protest movement against racial discrimination and police violence.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons, which administers federal prisons in the United States, said a prisoner was attacked at the federal prison in Tucson, Arizona, but did not confirm that it was Derek Chauvin.
According to the Associated Press, citing a source who – not authorized to discuss the attack – asked to remain anonymous, Derek Chauvin was attacked by another prisoner.
The New York Times also reported that Derek Chauvin was stabbed, citing two people with knowledge of the matter.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons said in a statement that prison employees responded and “took life-saving measures” of one person, who was transported to a hospital by emergency responders.
No prison employees were injured in the incident, which took place at 12:30 p.m. local time (19:30 GMT). A spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Prisons said it would not provide any additional details.
Derek Chauvin, 47, was convicted by Minnesota state courts of murder and manslaughter for causing the death of George Floyd in May 2020 by pressing his knee against the neck of the African-American suspect for nine minutes, despite the pleas of the latter who said he could no longer breathe.
The former police officer was also sentenced to 21 years in prison for violating George Floyd’s civil rights during the latter’s arrest.
(Reporting Daniel Trotta and Steve Gorman; French version Camille Raynaud)
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