The ex-policeman convicted of killing George Floyd is stabbed in prison

2023-11-25 17:47:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Derek Chauvin, a former police officer serving time in a federal prison in Arizona, convicted of killing African-American George Floyd, was stabbed on Friday by another inmate, seriously injuring himself. The news was confirmed to the Associated Press agency by a person familiar with the matter.

The attack took place at Tucson's medium-security prison, which has long been plagued by security problems and understaffing.

A statement from the Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an inmate had been injured Friday afternoon and that he had been taken to hospital for treatment, but did not provide details on his identity.

The statement said no prison staff were injured during the incident and that authorities had notified the FBI. After the incident, the authorities suspended visits to this prison, where about 380 people are serving sentences.

This is the second incident in five months at a federal prison involving an inmate that has drawn much public attention. In July, former doctor Larry Nassar, convicted of sexually abusing female gymnasts, was stabbed by an inmate at a federal prison in Florida.

This is also the second major incident at the Tucson federal prison in about a year.

Derik Chauvin, 47, was sent to Tucson in August 2022 from Minnesota's maximum security state prison. He is serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating George Floyd's civil rights and a state sentence of about 22 years for second-degree murder.

Derik Chauvin's attorney, Eric Nelson, had asked that his client be kept away from other inmates, anticipating that he would be a target for possible attacks. In Minnesota, Derik Chauvin was held mostly in solitary confinement, a court document said.

Last week, the Supreme Court rejected Derik Chauvin's appeal of his murder conviction.

George Floyd, African American, died on May 25, 2020, after Derik Chauvin, a white American, kept his knee on his neck for 9 1/2 minutes outside a store where George Floyd was allegedly trying to make a purchase with a US dollar bill. counterfeit 20 dollar bill./ VOA