Derek Chauvin Stabbed 22 Times in Prison Attack, Ex-Gang Member Charged With Attempted Murder
A spokesperson for the prison said his safety is their priority.
Dec. 1 2023, Published 6:21 p.m. ET
An incarcerated ex-gang member-turned-FBI informant was behind Derek Chauvin's prison attack. John Turscak was charged with attempted murder after stabbing the former Minneapolis police officer 22 times in an Arizona facility last week, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Derek Chauvin was stabbed 22 times by a fellow inmate in an Arizona federal prison.
Turscak is serving a 30-year sentence for crimes he committed as a member of the Mexican Mafia gang and allegedly told investigators he had been thinking of killing Chauvin for at least a month due to his high-profile status at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson.
Chauvin, 47, was sentenced to more than 20 years for the 2020 death of George Floyd. Turscak said he attacked the former officer on Black Friday (11/25) as a nod to the Black Lives Matter movement and the “Black Hand” symbol associated with the Mexican Mafia, reported the Associated Press on Friday.
Derek Chauvin was stabbed with an improvised knife in the prison’s law library on Nov. 24.
Despite allegedly insinuating the attack against Chauvin was planned, Turscak later changed his tune and stated he had no intention of killing him. The inmate is accused of stabbing Chauvin with an improvised knife in the prison’s law library around 12:30 PM on November 24.
According to the Bureau of Prisons, prison employees performed “life-saving measures" on Chauvin, who was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Chauvin's 52-year-old alleged attacker was also charged with assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Two of Turscak's charges hold sentences of 20 years each.
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Turscak said the date of the attack was symbolic.
After the attack, he was transferred to an adjacent federal penitentiary in Tucson, inmate records showed. Chauvin’s lawyer, Eric Nelson, had desperately tried to keep the ex-cop out of the prison's general population, arguing his client would be a target.
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Nelson for comment.
A representative said they were committed to ensuring the disgraced police officer-turned-convicted murderer's safety, telling RadarOnline.com earlier this week, "We can inform you generally that the Federal Correctional Complex (FCC) Tucson takes seriously our duty to protect the individuals entrusted in our custody, as well as maintain the safety of correctional employees and the community."
Derek Chauvin was stabbed 22 times by a fellow inmate in an Arizona federal prison.
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Little was known about the prison attack, with Chauvin's mother revealing she learned about it through the media.
"As an outsider, I view this lack of communication with his attorneys and family members as completely outrageous," his attorney told AP over the weekend. "It appears to be indicative of a poorly run facility and indicates how Derek's assault was allowed to happen."
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