25 November 2023, 10:20
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Alamy
Ex-police officer Derek Chauvin, who was jailed for the murder of George Floyd, is understood to have been seriously injured after he was stabbed by another inmate.
Chauvin needed “lifesaving measures” from prison staff after the attack at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona on Friday.
The former Minneapolis cop was sentenced to 22 years in jail over the murder of George Floyd, which he is simultaneously serving alongside a 21-year federal sentence for violating Mr Floyd’s civil rights.
He was moved from a prison in Minnesota to Arizona in August last year for his own protection.
The US bureau of prisons confirmed an inmate was assaulted at FCI Tucson at around 12.30pm local time.
In a statement, the agency said the inmate, who it did not name, was taken to a hospital for further treatment and evaluation.
No employees were injured and the FBI was notified, the bureau of prisons said. Visiting at the facility, which has about 380 inmates, has since been suspended.
Neither Chauvin’s lawyers nor the FBI have responded to requests for comment.
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Handout
Chauvin, whose appeal against his murder conviction was rejected by the US Supreme Court last week, is making a bid to overturn his federal guilty plea on the grounds new evidence shows he did not cause Mr Floyd’s death.
Mr Floyd died on May 25, 2020 after Chauvin pressed a knee on his neck for more than nine minutes on the street outside a convenience store where he was suspected of trying to pass a counterfeit 20 dollar bill.
Footage shared online captured Mr Floyd’s fading cries of “I can’t breathe”, with his death sparking protests worldwide.
Three other former officers received lesser state and federal sentences for their roles in Mr Floyd’s death.
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
