Inmate Charged with Attempted Murder After Allegedly Stabbing Derek Chauvin 22 Times
Inmate charged with attempted murder after brutally stabbing Derek Chauvin 22 times with an improvised knife, following a month of premeditation Court documents reveal shocking details of the vicious attack by the Arizona inmate
The inmate accused of assaulting Derek Chauvin, the ex-police officer found guilty in the killing of George Floyd, reportedly stabbed Chauvin about 22 times with a makeshift knife. The attack was allegedly planned by the Arizona inmate for roughly a month, as per court records.
As outlined in the federal complaint, the attack took place around 12:30 p.m. on November 24 while Chauvin was in the law library at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, resulting in significant bodily harm.
The federal corrections officers swiftly intervened and used OC spray to restrain Turscak, as stated in the criminal complaint. Turscak, facing charges of attempted murder, admitted to the officers that he would have killed Chauvin if they had not acted promptly.
Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona on November 27, 2023.
KOLD
Derek Chauvin, convicted in George Floyds death, in stable condition after stabbing, lawyer says prison officials told him
"Turscak claimed that his assault on (Derek Chauvin) on Black Friday was a symbolic gesture in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as the Black Hand symbol linked to the Mexican Mafia criminal group," according to the complaint.
In addition to the assault charge, Turscak also faces three other counts, including assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The maximum penalties for attempted murder and assault with intent to commit murder are 20 years of incarceration each. Meanwhile, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury carry maximum penalties of 10 years of incarceration each, as stated in a news release from the District of Arizona's US Attorney's Office.
According to Chauvin's attorney, Gregory M. Erickson, Chauvin was initially being treated at a trauma care facility in a local hospital. His condition has since improved enough that he has been returned to prison custody for follow-up care, as stated in a statement released on Sunday.
Erickson expressed the family's deep concern regarding the facility's ability to safeguard Derek from future harm. They are not reassured that the necessary changes have been implemented to prevent a recurrence of the procedures that led to Derek's attack.
The attorney stated that Chauvin has confirmed the accuracy of the events outlined in the complaint to his family. However, it remains unclear how the alleged attacker acquired the materials for the improvised knife.
"Erikson wondered why Derek was able to enter the law library without a nearby guard to prevent a potential attack. His family remains perplexed. Chauvin is currently serving two concurrent sentences for Floyds 2020 murder, after being convicted in April 2021 on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 22-and-a-half years."
Months later, the ex-Minneapolis police officer admitted guilt to federal charges of violating Floyd's civil rights and received a 21-year prison sentence.
On May 25, 2020, Officer Chauvin, who is White, knelt on Floyd's neck and back for over nine minutes following reports of Floyd allegedly using a fake $20 bill at a Minneapolis store. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was handcuffed and lying prone on the street as he begged for breath.
Floyd's passing ignited protests across the nation and worldwide against racial injustice and the treatment of people of color, especially Black Americans, by law enforcement in the United States. In a report from 2022, a Minnesota Department of Human Rights investigation uncovered a pattern of racial discrimination by the city and its police department.
CNNs Josh Campbell, Evan Perez, Katelyn Polantz and Hannah Rabinowitz contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional information.
