A former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd has been seriously injured after being stabbed in prison, according to officials.
Derek Chauvin was attacked by another inmate while in prison in Arizona, according to the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
The US Bureau of Prisons confirmed an inmate had been assaulted at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tucson at around 12.30pm local time on Friday.
In a statement, the agency said prison staff performed “life-saving measures”, before the inmate, who it did not name, was taken to a hospital for further treatment and evaluation.
The FBI said it was aware of an assault at the prison – though it also did not name anyone involved.
Chauvin, 47, was sent to FCI Tucson from a maximum-security Minnesota state prison in August 2022 to serve a 22-year sentence for the second-degree murder of Mr Floyd.
He was also sentenced to a concurrent 21-year sentence for violating Mr Floyd’s civil rights.
Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 years in prison for the second-degree murder of George Floyd
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Mr Floyd, 46, died in May 2020 after Chauvin pressed a knee on his neck for more than nine minutes on the street outside a convenience store in Minneapolis, where he was suspected of trying to pass counterfeit money.
The murder, which was recorded on a mobile phone by a passer-by, who filmed Mr Floyd saying “I can’t breathe” multiple times, sparked protests against racism and police brutality across the world.
Three other former officers received lesser state and federal sentences for their roles in Mr Floyd’s death.
Last week, the US Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal against his state murder conviction.
Separately, he is attempting to overturn his guilty plea in the federal civil rights case, claiming new evidence shows he did not cause Mr Floyd’s death.
