Federal prosecutors accused a jail inmate of stabbing Derek Chauvin 22 instances and charged the person with tried homicide on Friday, the U.S. Justice Division mentioned.
Former Minneapolis police officer Chauvin, 47, is serving two sentences for murdering George Floyd and violating his civil rights after he was caught on digicam in 2020 kneeling on the handcuffed mans neck for greater than 9 minutes as Floyd repeated I cant breathe.
The workplace of Minnesota’s lawyer basic beforehand confirmed to TIME that Chauvin was stabbed and severely injured at FCI Tucson, a medium-security federal jail in Arizona, on Nov. 24.
John Turscak, 52, who’s recognized in jail data as white, stands accused of finishing up the assault. He’s at the moment serving a 30-year sentence for crimes dedicated as a member of the Mexican Mafia jail gang, the Related Press reported.
The Justice Departments new grievance alleges that Turscak stabbed one other inmateidentified solely as D.C.who was convicted of federal crimes in one other district roughly 22 instances with an improvised knife within the prisons legislation library round 12:30 p.m.
The grievance mentioned that in an interview with FBI brokers on Nov. 26, Turscak denied eager to kill D.C., however mentioned he had been fascinated with assaulting him for a few month as a result of he was a high-profile inmate. Turscak mentioned he noticed his alternative to assault on Black Friday, which he considered as symbolic with the Black Lives Matter racial justice motion and the Black Hand image reportedly related to the Mexican Mafia prison group. The grievance didn’t elaborate additional on Turscaks feedback.
In an e mail to TIME on Saturday, the Federal Bureau of Prisons mentioned that whereas it doesn’t focus on particular safety practices, the company “takes severely” the “responsibility to guard the people entrusted in our custody, in addition to keep the protection of correctional workers and the group.”
“As a part of that obligation, we assessment security protocols and implement corrective actions when recognized as essential in these critiques to make sure that our mission of working secure, safe, and humane services is fulfilled.”
The homicide of Floyd, who was Black, by Chauvin, who’s white, reignited Black Lives Matter and sparked the most important racial justice protests throughout the nation for the reason that Civil Rights Motion.
On Friday, the U.S. Attorneys Workplace in Arizona charged Turscak with tried homicide, assault with intent to commit homicide, assault with a harmful weapon and assault leading to critical bodily damage.
The primary two offenses every carry most penalties of 20 years in jail. The latter two may result in as much as 10 years in jail.
Jail data present Tursack has been transferred to USP Tucson, a high-security penitentiary, following the assault on Chauvin.
Former police officer Chauvin arrived at FCI Tucson in August 2022 from a Minnesota state jail, the place he was largely held in solitary confinement for his personal safety, his lawyer wrote in court docket filings final yr.
Chauvin has tried to enchantment his conviction, however the U.S. Supreme Court docket declined to listen to his enchantment on Nov. 20.
TIME has reached out to the Justice Division and the Minnesota Legal professional Generals workplace for extra info.
