A federal inmate facing charges of attempting to murder Derek Chauvin revealed to prosecutors that he had contemplated attacking the former Minneapolis police officer due to Chauvin’s status as a “high-profile inmate,” as outlined in a charging document.

John Turscak, aged 52, is accused of assaulting Chauvin in the law library of a Tucson federal prison on Black Friday. Federal prosecutors assert that Turscak used an “improvised knife” to stab Chauvin approximately 22 times, causing significant bodily harm.

Initially, Turscak reportedly informed corrections officers that he would have fatally harmed Chauvin if they hadn’t intervened swiftly. However, when questioned by FBI agents later on, he denied any intention to kill Chauvin.

Turscak now faces charges of attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, MSNBC reported.

The first two charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years each, while the latter two carry maximum sentences of 10 years each.

According to the charging document, Turscak cited the symbolic nature of Black Friday in connection with the Black Lives Matter movement and the ‘Black Hand’ symbol associated with the Mexican Mafia criminal organization as reasons for carrying out the attack.

It’s noteworthy that Chauvin is currently serving concurrent sentences: a 22 1/2-year state sentence for the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and a 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights.

Written by B.C. Begley