MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An attorney representing Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer who was found guilty of George Floyd’s murder, expressed frustration at the lack of information provided to Chauvin’s family following his stabbing in federal prison.
Gregory M. Erickson, Chauvin’s attorney, criticized the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ handling of the situation after Chauvin was stabbed by another inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona. Erickson highlighted the lack of transparency and communication with the family and legal team regarding Chauvin’s condition and the details of the attack.
According to a source familiar with the matter, Chauvin sustained serious injuries in the stabbing, but a spokesperson for the Minnesota attorney general’s office stated that he is expected to survive.
Erickson emphasized the family’s struggle to obtain any information from the Bureau of Prisons, stating, “As an outsider, I view this lack of communication with his attorneys and family members as completely outrageous. It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek’s assault was allowed to happen.”
Concerns have been raised about the Bureau of Prisons’ lack of communication with the families of incarcerated individuals who are seriously injured or ill in federal custody. This has led to legislative efforts to establish guidelines for notifying families in such situations.
Erickson also criticized the prison’s failure to inform Chauvin’s family about the stabbing, stating, “How the family members who are in charge of Derek’s decisions regarding his personal medical care and his emergency contact were not informed after his stabbing further indicates the institution’s poor procedures and lack of institutional control.”
The Bureau of Prisons has confirmed the assault but has not disclosed the victim’s name or medical status for privacy and safety reasons. Prosecutors who secured Chauvin’s murder conviction expressed dismay at the violence he faced in federal custody.
Terrence Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, expressed his indifference to the situation, stating, “Whatever happens in those four walls, I don’t really have any feelings about it.”
Chauvin’s stabbing comes as the second high-profile attack on a federal prisoner in the last five months, following the stabbing of disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar in July.
Chauvin, who is serving both federal and state sentences, is currently held at FCI Tucson following his conviction for violating George Floyd’s civil rights and second-degree murder.
