Derek Chauvin transferred to Texas after stabbing in prison

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been transferred to a Texas prison after surviving a stabbing attack in an Arizona prison.

Chauvin was convicted in April 2021 of killing George Floyd, a Black man, by kneeling on his neck for more than 9 minutes. He was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for the murder and served his sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona. The facility is a medium-security institution but has reportedly had issues with security and staffing.

In November, Chauvin was stabbed approximately 22 times with a makeshift knife by John Turscak, a former member of the Mexican Mafia who was serving a 30-year prison sentence for crimes he committed as an FBI informant, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Although Chauvin was seriously injured in the attack, he survived.

While the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) said at the time that no employees were injured in the incident, responding prison officials “performed life-saving measures for one inmate.”

“Emergency medical services (EMS) were requested as life-saving efforts continued,” the statement added. “The inmate was transported by EMS to a local hospital for further treatment and evaluation.”

Turscak, who defended himself in court on charges of attempted murder, assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault causing serious bodily injury, said he had the idea to hurt Chauvin about a month before the attack.

According to NBC News, Turscak allegedly chose the day after Thanksgiving to attack Chauvin because of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Floyd’s murder was captured on camera and spread across social media, sparking worldwide protests and bringing the Black Lives Matter movement back to the forefront of politics and media.

Chauvin, who was convicted of second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for Floyd’s killing, has attempted to appeal his conviction multiple times.

Last year, he asked the Supreme Court to review his conviction after the Minnesota Supreme Court declined to hear the case. The high court denied his request.

Chauvin will continue to serve his sentence in Big Springs, Texas. BOP calls the prison a low-security facility with an adjacent minimum-security satellite campus.