MINNEAPOLIS – Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of killing George Floyd, has been transferred to a federal prison in Texas. This move comes almost nine months after he was stabbed in a different facility, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Chauvin, 47, is now housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Big Spring, a low-security prison. He was previously held in Arizona at FCI Tucson in August 2022 to serve both a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a 22 1/2-year state sentence for second-degree murder.
The transfer follows an incident nine months ago when Chauvin was stabbed 22 times in prison by a former gang leader and one-time FBI informant.
Another former Minneapolis officer, Thomas Lane, who aided in the restraint of Floyd, was released from federal prison in Colorado on Tuesday. Lane, 41, served a three-year sentence for aiding and abetting manslaughter.
The killing of George Floyd in May 2020 sparked global protests against racial injustice, as captured on dramatic bystander video footage.
Chauvin continues to fight his conviction, claiming new evidence absolves him of responsibility for Floyd’s death. If unsuccessful, he is not eligible for release until 2038.
John Turscak, serving time for crimes committed as a member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang, attacked Chauvin in 2023, specifically targeting him due to his role in Floyd’s death.
With Chauvin’s safety in mind, his lawyer had advocated for keeping him isolated from the general prison population, which didn’t prevent the violent attack from occurring.
Associated Press reporter Mike Balsamo contributed to this report from Washington.
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