Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, reportedly stabbed in federal prison in Tucson, Arizona and expected to survive (StarTribune, NYTimes, CBSNews)
Attack occurred Friday afternoon at medium security Federal Correctional Institution Tucson which has history of security issues (APNews, FoxNews)
Chauvin serving federal sentence for civil rights violation and state sentence for murder at prison (TheHill)
Officials including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison condemn attack saying Chauvin should safely serve sentence (FoxNews, YahooNews)
Raises questions around safety and security protocols for high-profile inmates like Chauvin (WSJ)
According to the StarTribune, NYTimes, and CBSNews, Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, was reportedly stabbed at a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona on Friday afternoon. He is said to be expected to survive the attack. The stabbing occurred at the medium security Federal Correctional Institution Tucson, which the APNews and FoxNews note has a history of security lapses and staffing shortages.
At the time of the stabbing, Chauvin was serving both a federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights as well as a state sentence for second-degree murder, as reported by TheHill. He had been transferred to the Arizona facility from a maximum security prison in Minnesota in August 2022.
The attack has drawn reactions from officials including Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who condemned the assault, stating that Chauvin should be able to safely serve his lawful sentence without fear of retaliation, as mentioned by FoxNews and YahooNews.
The incident raises questions around safety protocols and conditions for high-profile inmates within the Federal Bureau of Prisons system, according to the WSJ. Chauvin’s stabbing comes after other recent high-profile assaults on notorious prisoners like Larry Nassar, who was stabbed in a Florida federal prison in July 2022, and the 2018 killing of gangster James “Whitey” Bulger after being transferred to a West Virginia facility.
Chauvin’s attorney had previously raised concerns about his safety in prison and advocated for keeping him separated from the general inmate population, noting he would likely be a target. The ability for him to be attacked in custody despite apparently being housed in a special protective unit has led to increased calls for accountability and oversight of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, according to multiple sources.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons, which falls under the Justice Department, has faced scrutiny in recent years over its management, staffing shortages, and inability to protect high-profile inmates, even after the appointment of a new director charged with reforming the crisis-plagued agency. While the specific circumstances around Chauvin’s attack remain unclear pending investigation, the incident will likely refocus attention on the need for enhanced security measures and safeguards for vulnerable inmates within the federal prison system.