The inmate accused of attacking ex-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin last week has been charged with attempted murder, according to federal prosecutors.
The prisoner, identified as 52-year-old John Turscak, stabbed Chauvin 22 times in the law library of the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tucson, Ariz.
Turscak told officials in the prison that he would have killed the former officer — who is serving time after being charged with murdering George Floyd — had they not responded quickly, The Associated Press reported.
According to the charging documents, obtained by a local television station KVOA, Turscak was charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
“Turscak stated he saw an opportunity to assault D.C. in the law library on Friday, November 24, 2023, the day after Thanksgiving Day commonly known as ‘Black Friday,'” the documents read. “Turscak stated that his attack of D.C. on Black Friday was symbolic with the Black Lives Matter movement and the ‘Black Hand’ symbol associated with the Mexican Mafia criminal organization.”
Floyd’s murder in May 2020 sparked a civil rights movement and reckoning about the historical treatment of Black people in the U.S. by both institutions and individuals.
The Supreme Court rejected Chauvin’s appeal of his murder conviction last week.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) confirmed quickly after the incident Nov. 24 that an inmate had been attacked and was receiving treatment — but did not mention Chauvin by name.
“No employees were injured during the incident,” the BOP’s statement read. “Responding employees initiated life-saving measures for one incarcerated individual. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were requested while life-saving efforts continued. The incarcerated individual was transported by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation.”
On Saturday, a spokesperson for the Minnesota Attorney General’s office said Chauvin was expected to survive the incident.
FCI Tucson is a medium-security prison that has reportedly faced problems with security and staffing, according to AP.