WASHINGTON: Derek Chauvin, the former US police officer convicted of the murder of George Floyd, was seriously injured in a stabbing at a federal prison in Arizona on Friday, according to numerous US media reports.
Chauvin reportedly survived the attack by another inmate at the prison and is in stable condition, according to media reports, which cited unnamed sources familiar with the incident, reported dpa news.
Chauvin, a former police officer in Minneapolis, used his knee to pin Floyd to the ground for more than nine minutes in May 2020. He was convicted of murder and violating Floyd’s rights.
The deadly arrest, and brutal video of the incident in which Floyd can be heard begging for air, unleashed widespread anger in the United States and mass protests over police brutality and discrimination toward black people.
Chauvin is white, while Floyd was black.
The US Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an inmate at Tucson Federal Correctional Institute was stabbed in an attack but did not name the person.
Media outlets, including CNN and the New York Times, identified the inmate as Chauvin. Bureau of Prisons records confirm that Chauvin is serving a lengthy prison sentence at the facility.
A few days ago, the US Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal against his convictions, in which he argued that he had not received a fair trial. – Bernama, dpa
