Inmate who attacked former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin.
In prison, the inmate who attacked former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin did so a shocking 22 times, recent revelations show.
John Turscak, a former member of the Mexican Mafia at 52, stabbed Chauvin inside a Tucson federal prison, expressing that he would have gone as far as killing him if corrections officers hadn’t swiftly intervened, prosecutors revealed.
The intentional attack occurred on Black Friday, Nov. 24, symbolically linked to the Black Lives Matter movement, according to investigators.
Now facing charges of attempted murder, assault with the intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in bodily injury, Turscak, currently serving a 30-year sentence for crimes committed while working as an FBI informant, admitted to contemplating the act of stabbing the ex-cop, convicted in the killing of George Floyd, for months prior to the incident.
Turscak carried out the assault on Chauvin using an “improvised knife” with the clear “intent to do bodily harm” and “commit murder,” as outlined in the criminal complaint.
Explaining his choice of Black Friday for the attack, Turscak shared with FBI agents during a November 26 interview that it held significance as it was “symbolic with the Black Lives Matter movement and the ‘Black Hand’ symbol associated with the Mexican Mafia criminal organization.”
The incident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 within the facility’s law library. Law enforcement utilized pepper spray to subdue Turscak.
Chauvin, serving a 22-year sentence for Floyd’s death, required “emergency medical treatment” at a hospital after employees performed “life-saving measures” on him.
During his FBI interview, Turscak waived his Miranda Rights but denied any intention to kill Chauvin.
While the criminal’s lawyer was not specified, he has previously represented himself. Following the incident, Turscak was relocated to an adjacent federal facility, where he remains.