Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of George Floyd’s murder, is expected to survive after being stabbed in jail, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office confirmed on Saturday.
Chauvin was hospitalized on Friday following an attack at the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson. A source with knowledge of the incident said that Chauvin was seriously injured in the attack.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons stated that the event took place around 12:30 p.m. and that “responding staff began life-saving measures for one incarcerated individual.”
The press secretary for the Office of Minnesota Attorney General stated on Saturday, “I can confirm that, as of last night, Chauvin was expected to survive.” No further details were released.
In a statement on Friday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he was “saddened” by the incident.
“I am saddened to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence,” he said. “He was rightfully convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated person, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence.”
When asked about the stabbing and Chauvin’s condition, his lawyer, Eric Nelson, said he was “not commenting.”
Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for 9 1/2 minutes while Floyd said he couldn’t breathe, is currently serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a 22 1/2-year state sentence for second-degree murder. Former Minneapolis police officers Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane were also convicted in both state and federal courts for their roles in Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020.
The Bureau of Prisons had informed the FBI of the attack on Chauvin. An FBI spokesperson based in Phoenix said on Friday night that the agency was aware of what happened.
Minyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.
Joe Kottke
Joe Kottke is a researcher at the NBC News Network Desk.
Matthew Mata
Matthew Mata is an assignment editor in NBC News’ Chicago bureau.