Family of ex-cop who killed George Floyd 'left in dark' after stabbing in jail

26 November 2023 , 15:24

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Derek Chauvin's family have been left in the dark as to his condition (Image: AP)

The family of Derek Chauvin, the ex-cop convicted of murdering George Floyd, has been kept in the dark by prison officials after he was stabbed in prison, according to his attorney.

Gregory M Erickson slammed the lack of transparency from the Federal Bureau of Prisons after the former Minneapolis police officer was stabbed by another inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, on Friday. The prison has been plagued by security lapses and staffing shortages which ultimately resulted in Chauvin, 47, being seriously injured in the stabbing.

A person close to the matter spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to publicly discuss the incident and confirmed that Chauvin had been left seriously injured. But on Saturday a spokesperson for the Minnesota attorney general's office, Brian Evans, said: "We have heard that he is expected to survive."

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Mr Erickson said Chauvin's family and attorneys have been attempting to obtain information about the attack but have struggled to find out what happened. He said Chauvin's family have been left to just assume he is in a stable condition, taking information from news accounts.

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They've reportedly been contacting the prison repeatedly to try and get updates but haven't been given any information. Mr Erickson criticised the handling of the situation in a statement.

"As an outsider, I view this lack of communication with his attorneys and family members as completely outrageous," he said. "It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek's assault was allowed to happen."

George Floyd was killed when he was restrained by cops with Chauvin kneeling on his neck for nine minutes (AP)

Mr Erickson's comments highlight concerns that have been floating around for years that federal prison officials provide little to no information to the relatives and loved ones of those behind bars when they fall seriously ill or are injured in federal custody. According to AP, the Bureau of Prisons ignored its internal guidelines and failed to notify families of inmates who were seriously ill with Covid as the virus swept through prisons across the US.

Chauvin was stabbed at 12.30pm local time on Friday, with the Bureau of Prisons saying employees contained the incident and performed "life-saving measures" on the inmate, who was then transported to hospital. Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison confirmed Chauvin was in a stable condition.

Chauvin is serving a sentence for the murder of George Floyd after he knelt on his neck for nine minutes (Collect Unknown)

"I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence," he said. "He was duly convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated individual, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence."

Chauvin is serving multiple sentences for the death of George Floyd, who was killed while being restrained by officers sparking swathes of protests against police brutality and racism across the world. The latest updates come just days after the Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Chauvin, in which it was argued he had not received a fair trial for the killing of Mr Floyd - who died after the former officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes in 2020.

Chavin was found guilty of Mr Floyd's murder and sentenced to 22 years in prison. He was then given a further 20-year sentence in July 2022 for violating Mr Floyd's civil rights.

Fiona Leishman