An incarcerated former gang member and FBI informant was charged today (Fri) with attempted murder in last week’s stabbing of former -Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin at a federal prison in Arizona.
Federal prosecutors say 52-year-old John Turscak stabbed Chauvin 22 times at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson and said he would’ve killed Chauvin had correctional officers not responded so quickly.
Turscak is serving a 30-year sentence for crimes committed while a member of the Mexican Mafia gang.
Prosecutors say he told investigators he thought about attacking Chauvin for about a month because Chauvin – convicted of the 2020 murder of George Floyd — is a high-profile inmate. But prosecutors say Turscak later denied wanting to kill Chauvin.
Turscak is accused of attacking Chauvin with an improvised knife in the prison’s law library around 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving.
Employees stopped the attack and performed “life-saving measures.” Chauvin was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Turscak told FBI agents that he attacked Chauvin on Black Friday as a symbolic connection to the Black Lives Matter movement, and the “Black Hand” symbol associated with the Mexican Mafia.
Turscak is also charged with assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
The attempted murder and assault with intent to commit murder charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
After the stabbing, Turscak was moved to an adjacent federal penitentiary in Tucson, where he remained in custody today (Fri), according to inmate records.
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AP