Derek Chauvin’s mom breaks silence on his prison stabbing as employees performed ‘life-saving measures’
The family of disgraced former police officer Derek Chauvin claimed they were kept in the dark about the details of his prison stabbing that required employees to perform “life-saving measures.”
Chauvin’s mother, Carolyn Pawlenty, found out her son was “seriously injured” in a stabbing through the media and was not contacted by any officials on his condition, according to Alpha News on Saturday afternoon.
“How the hell do these news agencies know and his own mother doesn’t even know? And that [prison] has an emergency contact number [for me],” Pawlenty told the outlet.
Pawlenty explained she’s “worried and scared” about her son’s condition.
“I can’t even think what to say. I haven’t been to bed and made a path in my kitchen and living room floor by pacing,” Pawlenty said.
Chauvin’s attorney, Bill Mohrman, said that he has tried to contact the Bureau of Prisons on behalf of his client’s family to find out more about the stabbing but has yet to hear back from the agency.
“We have attempted to contact the Bureau of Prisons regarding the media reports regarding Mr. Chauvin and we have not heard back,” Mohrman told the outlet.
Gregory M. Erickson, another of Chauvin’s attorneys, called out the prison for its lack of transparency.
“It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek’s assault was allowed to happen,” Erickson said in a statement on Saturday.
“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 lawyer said of the prison.
Chauvin, 47, who’s serving 22.5 years for the May 2020 death of George Floyd, was attacked around 12:30 p.m. on Friday at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tucson, Ariz.
Prison employees had to perform “life-saving measures” before Chauvin was hospitalized, The Bureau of Prisons said.
The federal agency shared that his attacker was also taken to the hospital, but they have yet to be identified.
Chauvin has since been listed in “stable” condition.
Brian Evans, a Minnesota attorney general’s spokesperson, said Saturday they “have heard that [Chauvin] is expected to survive.”
Visiting at the facility remains suspended as of Sunday, according to the prison’s website.
“I have to stay strong for Derek as he does for me. There is no stronger love than a mother’s love,” Chauvin’s mother told Alpha News.
Pawlenty has made several trips to visit her son at the notoriously violent prison since he’s been in the facility since late 2022.
In Nov. 2022, an inmate pulled a gun and tried to shoot a visitor in the head — but failed when the weapon misfired.
In May 2018, disgraced former Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was assaulted at the same prison –and subsequently transferred out.
Following Chauvin’s stabbing, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, whose office prosecuted the former cop for Floyd’s death, said the incident is “sad” for a man who has already been convicted.
“I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence,” Ellison 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.”
The stabbing in Arizona comes just one week after the US Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his second-degree murder conviction.
Chauvin’s lawyers argued that he was denied a fair trial due to the publicity surrounding the case and concerns about potential violence if he was acquitted.
They had advocated for keeping his client out of the prison’s general population and away from other inmates, anticipating he’d be a target.
with Post wires
