John Turscak, accused of stabbing Derek Chauvin in prison, pleads not guilty
TUCSON, Ariz. — The man accused of stabbing Derek Chauvin 22 times in prison pleaded not guilty on Friday.
John Turscak was charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury after the stabbing in November.
Charging documents state he stabbed Chauvin with an improvised knife in the law library of the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson. He told agents he had been thinking of assaulting Chauvin for roughly one month because of his high-profile nature.
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Chauvin is serving a 22-year sentence, after he was convicted of killing George Floyd during an arrest in May of 2020. Chauvin was badly hurt in the stabbing, but was in stable condition soon after.
Turscak made a court appearance on Friday. His jury trial is set for Feb. 13.
Note: The above video first aired on Dec. 4, 2023