Derek Chauvin, ex-cop convicted of George Floyd’s murder, moved post-stabbing

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been moved to a low-security federal prison in Texas, according to a recent announcement by the federal Bureau of Prisons. This transfer occurred on Tuesday following a violent incident in which Chauvin was stabbed 22 times by another inmate in November while in a federal facility in Tucson, Arizona.

Chauvin, now 48 years old, was convicted of murdering George Floyd and is currently serving a 21-year sentence. The stabbing incident took place on November 24, raising significant concerns about his safety while incarcerated.

Before his recent transfer to Texas, Chauvin was relocated to a temporary facility in Oklahoma. Now, he is housed in a low-security federal prison located in Big Springs, Texas, where officials aim to provide a safer environment for him.

The individual accused of attacking Chauvin is John Turscak, who reportedly used an improvised knife in the assault. Turscak is a former member of the Mexican Mafia and is already serving a lengthy 30-year sentence for previous crimes, which he committed while being an informant for the FBI.

Following the incident, Turscak faced serious charges, including attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault with intent to commit murder, among others. In court, Turscak claimed that he had been contemplating an attack on Chauvin for several weeks leading up to the stabbing incident. He specifically chose the day after Thanksgiving to carry out the assault as a form of support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Chauvin’s conviction stems from a widely publicized incident in 2020, where he was recorded kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for several minutes as Floyd repeatedly expressed that he couldn’t breathe. The jury found Chauvin guilty on counts of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

In a related development, former Minneapolis police officer Thomas Lane was released from prison on the same day Chauvin was transferred. Lane, who served 30 months for his involvement in Floyd’s death, is now under a year of supervised release. He was imprisoned in a low-security facility located in Littleton, Colorado.

Lane’s legal troubles began when a jury found him guilty in July 2022 of federal charges for violating Floyd’s civil rights during the incident. Subsequently, he pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter in a state court in Hennepin County, Minnesota, where he received a 2.5-year sentence.

Notably, Lane is the first of the four former officers charged in connection with Floyd’s death to complete his prison sentence. Remarkably, he had only served as a police officer for four days when the tragic incident transpired. Video evidence showed Lane restraining Floyd by his legs, while Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly 10 minutes, with other officers managing a nearby crowd.

With Chauvin’s recent transfer, he is expected to serve until 2038, when he will become eligible for release.