A judge has ruled that the man who stabbed former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin can represent himself during the trial.
Chauvin was stabbed 22 times by fellow inmate John Turscak at the medium-security Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Tucson, Arizona, in November.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynnette Kimmins ruled on Wednesday that though Turscak is entitled to represent himself, he must still be granted “advisory/standby counsel” and “reasonable access to ‘law books, witnesses, or other tools to prepare a defense,’” according to NBC News.
The trial date set for next month was also moved to August 20, with a deadline of August 2 for Turscak to make a plea agreement.
NBC News reports:
Federal prosecutors said Turscak told them he had been thinking about assaulting Chauvin for about a month because the former officer was such a high-profile inmate.
Turscak was charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, according to federal prosecutors.
He also allegedly told federal prosecutors that he chose the day of the attack — the day after Thanksgiving, known as “Black Friday” — to symbolize the Black Lives Matter movement and the “Black Hand” symbol of the Mexican Mafia. According to a criminal complaint, Turscak told corrections officers that he would have killed Chauvin had they not responded so quickly.
Turscak was scheduled to be released from prison on June 4, 2026, before the attack.
The Tucson prison is notorious for poor security and staffing issues.
Chauvin was the officer filmed kneeling on George Floyd during his fatal interaction with police. His death caused nationwide Black Lives Matter riots throughout the summer of 2020.
Chauvin is currently serving simultaneous 21-year sentences for violating Floyd’s civil rights and second-degree murder.
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