Former U.S. police officer Derek Chauvin has been stabbed in an Arizona jail.
Chauvin is serving more than 20 years for the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
Viral footage showing Floyd struggling to breathe because Chauvin was kneeling on his neck sparked global protests for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Authorities expect Chauvin to recover from his injuries.
Here’s what we know about the incident.
George Floyd
On 25 May 2020 Chauvin and three other police officers arrested George Floyd at a Minnesota grocery store.
After police handcuffed Floyd and pinned him on the ground, Chauvin kneeled on his neck for several minutes. Floyd repeatedly told police he couldn’t breathe before he lost consciousness.
In June 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and a half years behind bars for murder and manslaughter. Later, he was sentenced to 21 years for violating Floyd’s civil rights. Chauvin is serving both sentences at the same time.
Prison stabbing
Derek Chauvin was stabbed by another inmate at a medium-security jail in Tucson, Arizona on Friday. The Attorney-General of Minnesota has since confirmed the incident.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is the body responsible for the country’s federal jails. In a statement to TDA, the BOP did not name Chauvin. However, it confirmed the assault and said the prisoner required “life-saving” hospital treatment.
Further details
A person with knowledge of Chauvin’s stabbing told The Associated Press that he was seriously injured. The Minnesota Attorney-General’s office has since said “he is expected to survive”.
It comes after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out Chauvin’s bid to appeal his murder conviction last week. Chauvin’s lawyers argued he didn’t get a fair trial because of how high-profile his case became.
Visitors have been temporarily barred from the Tucson prison.
