Derek Chauvin, former police officer made infamous for the killing of George Floyd in May of 2020, was stabbed 22 times in a Tuscon prison.

Chauvin survived the attack, but the inmate who stabbed him is looking to face several charges. 

In 2020, while trying to arrest George Floyd, a black man, Derek Chauvin was filmed holding his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes. During those 9 minutes, Floyd begged Chauvin to take his knee off of his neck, repeating “I can’t breathe” before dying. This incident sparked protests and riots across the country, bringing more attention to the issue of police brutality. Chauvin was sentenced to 20 years in prison for George Floyd’s murder and was moved to the Federal Correctional Institution in Tuscon, Arizona. 

John Tursack, the inmate who committed the stabbing, told FBI agents that he had been planning the attack for a month. Tursack stated that he specifically attacked Chauvin on Black Friday because that day was connected to the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black Hand symbol commonly associated with the Mexican Mafia. Tursack is facing charges of attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. As of December 4th, Derek Chauvin has been released from the hospital and has been returned to prison.