Inmate charged with stabbing Derek Chauvin 22 times
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Derek Chauvin, in orange, escorted by police officers on Sept. 11, 2020. Photo: David Joles/Star Tribune via Getty Images
A federal inmate was charged with attempted murder on Friday in the stabbing of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd.
Driving the news: John Turscak, 52, is accused of stabbing Chauvin 22 times with an "improvised knife" while incarcerated in Tucson, Arizona, per the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona.
- Turscak was charged in a criminal complaint with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Catch up quick: The stabbing took place last Friday in the prison's law library and staff performed "life-saving measures" before transporting Chauvin to the hospital.
- Chauvin's lawyers did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment and an update on his condition.
Zoom in: Turscak told officers that he would have killed Chauvin if they hadn't responded so quickly, federal prosecutors told the Associated Press.
- Turscak later denied to the FBI that he wanted to kill Chauvin and said rather that he had been thinking of assaulting the ex-cop for about a month due to his high-profile status, prosecutors said.
- Turscak also told FBI agents that he committed the attack on Black Friday as both a symbolic connection to the Black Lives Matter movement and the "Black Hand" symbol, which is linked to the Mexican Mafia.
- Turscak was a member of the Mexican Mafia when he was sentenced to three decades in prison, AP reported.
Background: Chauvin was transferred to the same medium-security prison as Turscak last year.
- A jury in Minnesota found the former cop guilty of murder and manslaughter in April 2021, and he was sentenced to more than 20 years. He pleaded guilty later that year in a federal case alleging he violated Floyd's civil rights.
- Chauvin has sought to overturn both his conviction and his guilty plea.
- The U.S. Supreme Court recently declined a request to review the state murder conviction.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.
Go deeper: SCOTUS declines to hear Chauvin's appeal of George Floyd murder conviction
