Ex-Officer Convicted in George Floyd Case Transferred to New Prison After Stabbing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Derek Chauvin, the ex-Minneapolis police officer found guilty of murdering George Floyd, has been transferred to a federal prison in Texas. This change comes almost nine months after he was stabbed multiple times in a different facility, as reported by the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Chauvin, now 47 years old, is currently housed at the Federal Correctional Institution in Big Spring, which is a low-security prison. Prior to this transfer, he was held at FCI Tucson in Arizona since August 2022, where he served a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights along with a 22 1/2-year state sentence for second-degree murder.

This transfer follows an alarming incident where Chauvin was stabbed 22 times while in prison. The assailant, John Turscak, is a former gang leader and a one-time FBI informant. Turscak reportedly targeted Chauvin because of his high-profile conviction stemming from the death of George Floyd.

In related news, another former officer involved in the incident, Thomas Lane, was released from federal prison in Colorado on Tuesday. Lane, now 41, was serving a three-year sentence for aiding and abetting manslaughter.

During his plea, Lane confessed to intentionally helping to restrain Floyd in a manner that posed an unreasonable risk to his life. He acknowledged hearing Floyd say he couldn’t breathe, noticed when Floyd lost consciousness, and recognized the absence of a pulse.

Floyd, 46, died in May 2020 after Chauvin, who is white, pressed him to the ground with a knee on his neck as Floyd repeatedly pleaded for air. Lane, who is also white, helped restrain Floyd’s legs. Another former officer, J. Alexander Kueng, a Black individual, knelt on Floyd’s back, while Tou Thao, who is Hmong American, stood by and prevented onlookers from intervening during the prolonged restraint lasting over nine minutes.

Kueng and Thao are serving longer sentences, with release dates set for 2025. Kueng is currently imprisoned in Ohio, while Thao is at a facility in Kentucky, as reflected in Bureau of Prisons records.

The events surrounding Floyd’s death, documented by bystanders on video, ignited widespread protests in 2020 and contributed to a global movement addressing racial injustice.

Lane’s release makes him the first among the four officers convicted for their roles in Floyd’s death to leave prison. He had been serving time for both his federal sentence and his state sentence after being found guilty of infringing upon Floyd’s civil rights.

Chauvin is currently attempting to challenge his federal guilty plea, arguing that new evidence indicates he did not cause Floyd’s death. Should his efforts fail, Chauvin is not eligible for release until 2038.

The incident that led to Chauvin’s prior injuries occurred on November 24, 2023, when inmate John Turscak attacked him. Turscak, who faces charges of attempted murder, reportedly stated that he would have killed Chauvin if not for the swift response of correctional officers.

Concerns regarding safety have been raised about FCI Tucson, a medium-security prison noted for security breaches and staffing shortages. Chauvin’s attorney at the time had sought to keep him segregated from the general inmate population, anticipating that he would be targeted due to widespread recognition of his role in Floyd’s death.