Star Tribune
Derek Chauvin’s mother chastises prison officials for keeping family in dark about son’s stabbing
The mother of federal inmate Derek Chauvin and one of his attorneys are chastising prison officials for keeping them in the dark about last week’s stabbing by a fellow inmate that left the ex-Minneapolis police officer in serious condition.
The 47-year-old Chauvin has been imprisoned at the federal prison in Tucson, Ariz., for killing George Floyd while on duty in 2020. Chauvin was attacked on Friday at the medium-security facility.
Gregory Erickson, who is Chauvin’s civil attorney, said that Chauvin’s father has been contacted by a Bureau of Prisons official confirming the stabbing but has received “no concrete information on how this was allowed to happen, any detail regarding Mr. Chauvin’s injuries or details about his condition other than he is stable.”
Erickson added that Chauvin’s family members have also been denied information about his client’s location or condition, leaving them unable to visit him or consult with him on his medical needs.
The attorney also pointed out that he and the family have reached out repeatedly directly to the Tucson prison in vain for details on the attack. As of Tuesday morning, federal prosecutors in Arizona have yet to announce any charges against the inmate suspected of stabbing Chauvin.
Carolyn Pawlenty, Chauvin’s mother, expressed her outrage on social media Monday that she has not heard from prison officials in Arizona or from the Bureau of Prisons since her son was attacked.
“I have major concerns and questions!” Pawlenty wrote. “I want the respect of being notified!! I am heartbroken!! I am his mom!!!!!!!”
“I view this lack of communication with his attorneys and family members as completely outrageous,” Erickson said. “It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek’s assault was allowed to happen.”
Erickson added, “I would like you all to imagine how you would feel if this was your son, brother, or father who was stabbed and forced to suffer alone, his location concealed from you. This is completely unacceptable. If this is standard procedure, the procedure must be changed.”
In a brief phone call Tuesday, Erickson said Chauvin’s parents “are just upset and disgusted with how everything has transpired in terms of transparency.”
A spokesman for the Bureau of Prisons, which like the FBI is under the Justice Department, has declined to answer questions or provide additional details about the attack other than confirming that an assault on an inmate occurred and that employees performed ”life-saving measures” before the inmate was taken to a hospital for further treatment and evaluation.
The agency spokesman also declined to respond to the allegations leveled by Chauvin’s attorney about inmate safety or the lack of information for Chauvin’s family.
Chauvin is the latest high-profile inmate to be attacked at a federal prison. In July, convicted sex offender and former Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar was stabbed repeatedly at a facility in Florida.
In 2018, former Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger was killed shortly after being transferred to a federal prison in West Virginia. A Justice Department report late last year excoriated the prison’s management for Bulger’s death.
A series of Associated Press reports in 2022 found that the federal Bureau of Prisons has long been plagued by staffing shortages, chronic violence, inmate deaths and sexual abuse of prisoners by staff.
Chauvin has been serving a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and a 22 ½-year state sentence for second-degree murder. He’s due to be released from prison in 2038, according to Bureau of Prison records.
Floyd, who was Black, died in May 2020 while pinned under the knee of Chauvin, who is white, at the corner of Chicago Avenue and 38th Street in south Minneapolis. Floyd’s death ignited days of protests and at times deadly riots.
The assault came one week after the premiere of Alpha News’ documentary, “The Fall of Minneapolis,” which questions the prevailing media narrative of Floyd’s murder. The film includes interviews with Chauvin and ex-officer J. Alexander Kueng, who was also convicted in Floyd’s death.
“At the end of the day, the whole trial including sentencing was a sham,” Chauvin told Alpha News during a phone interview from prison.
“He had a fair trial and the whole world saw it,” Ellison said in response to that.
This story contains material from the Associated Press. Star Tribune staff writers Liz Sawyer and Rochelle Olson contributed to this report.
According to Gomez, workers have had wages withheld under threats of possible deportations. Unauthorized workers are less likely to seek legal aid due to their legal status.
“What I want from this program is for other people not to suffer the same abuses that we’ve suffered in the past,” Gomez said. “This program is designed to prevent these abuses.”
CTUL said workers’ rights under the program will be shared in multiple languages.
Gomez specifically named Yellow Tree, United Properties, and Solhem Cos. as developers he’d like to see join the program. CTUL called for these companies, as well as Roers, Doran Properties Group, and MWF Properties, to adopt the standards.
Those working under developers in the program can report abuse to the standards council. After a complaint is made, the council will monitor contractors’ worksites to make sure they are complying with the standards.
If the council finds that a contractor is abusing workers, developers in CTUL’s program would be legally required to stop working with the contractor.
One man is dead and two others were fighting for their lives Saturday, as Minneapolis police searched for suspects following a triple shooting in the early morning hours.
According to police, officers responded to reports of automatic gunfire at a homeless encampment near E. 21st Street and 15th Avenue S. shortly before 5 a.m. They arrived in the Ventura Village neighborhood south of downtown to find three victims with gunshot wounds.
The men were given aid and transported to HCMC, where one of them died. Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the other two remained in critical condition. The identities of the men, who were homeless, were not immediately released.
Investigators believe that an altercation occurred after three people approached the camp. One of the victims had a BB gun that resembled a real pistol, but it was unclear if that was a factor in the shooting.
“Once again, tragedy has occurred at a homeless encampment and all three of the injured are known to police,” O’Hara said at a news conference Saturday. “Residents in the area have been very frustrated. This is an ongoing issue with encampments and all of the activity that’s associated with it. As soon as one encampment is cleared, another one pops up somewhere else and crime in the area immediately rises.”
Citing department data, O’Hara said that around 13% of all Third Precinct crime, and 19% of the precinct’s gun violence, happens within 500 feet of encampments. He said he believed that the camp where the shooting occurred appeared after officials had closed a larger encampment by a Franklin Avenue overpass.
Paula Williams, who has lived in the area since the late 1970s, said she often greets youth from the encampment and that none have made her feel threatened. But Williams said drug use and sex trafficking have become an issue.
“It’s just been whack-a-mole,” she said. “The police come daily or every other day. Somebody calls and they get chased away and by the evening, they’re back.”
“… This summer an alcohol fueled argument escalated into something that I deeply regret. I said and did things that are unacceptable and I take full responsibility for my actions. Although there was never any physical violence I am deeply remorseful for the fear and trauma caused by my anger. I’ve since been given an opportunity to step back, reflect, assess, heal and grow. Although the path was unfortunate, the destination was necessary. I’ve been able to embrace sobriety, spirituality, and integrity. I’ve been able to find myself again and love myself again. The clarity and perspective I now possess is priceless and has fueled my determination and dedication. It’s no coincidence that this next chapter of my life begins as I turn 40 and I can’t wait to live the rest of my life as the best version of myself I’ve ever been and continue to give back to my community.”
Bullshit. Then, and especially now.
It’s clear Sutherland’s primary concern has been the impact of his legal case on his career. Plus, he knows he has the power to shape the narrative about the next chapter of his life.
Influential men always do. Sutherland’s success and charm could still provide the platform for him to earn an abundance of grace, and an apparently consensual meeting with the alleged victim will only enhance those ambitions. But those accused of domestic violence should not have the ability to proclaim their redemption. They’re not reliable sources.
The criminal complaint from the summer incident states that the alleged victim told police Sutherland had been physically and verbally abusive in the past. It’s a familiar story. Too familiar. According to the National Domestic Hotline, 4 out of 5 victims of intimate partner violence from 1994 to 2010 were women. And more than three-quarters of the female victims ages 18 to 49 were “previously victimized by the same offender.”
Thursday’s arrest complicates Sutherland’s legal case and perceptions about his summer encounter with his girlfriend. But it doesn’t change the facts.
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