An inmate has been charged with attempted murder for stabbing Derek Chauvin, the police officer who killed African-American George Floyd, 22 times in a federal prison last week, prosecutors said Friday.
The death of George Floyd in May 2020 during his arrest sparked a major anti-racist movement in the United States and beyond American borders. Derek Chauvin, a white police officer and later a veteran law enforcement officer in Minneapolis (North), knelt on the neck of 46-year-old George Floyd for almost ten minutes, remaining indifferent to the interventions of shocked passers-by and the moans of the forty-year-old.
Mr. Chauvin, 47, was serving a 22.5-year sentence and was attacked on November 24, 2023, in a library at a federal prison in Tucson, Arizona. He survived his injuries.
“Black Friday”
One of his fellow inmates, John Turscak, 52, is accused of stabbing him more than 20 times with a homemade knife, according to a court document.
The man told investigators that he knowingly chose the date of the attack, the “Black Friday” day known for its commercial discounts, in reference to the anti-racist movement Black Lives Matter, again according to the same source. “Mr. Turscak told prison officers that he would have killed (Mr. Chauvin) if they had not responded so quickly,” the document continues.
Federal prosecutors in Tucson said they had charged Mr. Turscack on several counts, including attempted murder, punishable by up to 20 years in prison, and assault causing great bodily harm. The man is also accused of stabbing another inmate more than 20 times, again with a knife.
In stable condition
Although no press release or complaint mentions Derek Chauvin’s full name, an official source confirmed to AFP that the victim was indeed the former Minneapolis police officer. According to American media, he was hospitalized and is in stable condition.
The death of George Floyd sparked large protests against racism and police violence. According to the crime scene filmed and posted online, Derek Chauvin placed his knee on George Floyd’s neck even as the black 40-year-old passed out and his pulse was no longer detectable. Two other police officers helped restrain him.
After a closely watched trial in 2021, he was found guilty of murder by the Minnesota state courts. The United States Supreme Court rejected Derek Chauvin’s appeal of that conviction in November. The former police officer asked for the verdict to be overturned, saying extreme media coverage of the case and the risk of unrest deprived him of a “fair” trial.