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A federal inmate, John Turscak, 52, is facing charges of attempted murder and other related offenses after allegedly stabbing former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin 22 times.

Chauvin, imprisoned for the murder of George Floyd, was attacked last week at Federal Correctional Institution, Tucson, with an “improvised knife,” as announced by the US attorney’s office on Friday. Turscak admitted to prosecutors that he had been contemplating the assault for about a month, targeting Chauvin due to his high-profile status.

The attack, which occurred on November 24, left Chauvin with serious injuries, as confirmed by law enforcement sources. Turscak, motivated by the symbolism of “Black Friday” and its connection to the Black Lives Matter movement, told prosecutors that his action represented the “Black Hand” symbol of the Mexican Mafia. He also expressed that he intended to kill Chauvin and was only prevented from doing so by the swift response of prison employees who initiated lifesaving measures.

Chauvin, serving a 22 1/2-year sentence for the murder of Floyd, as well as a concurrent 21-year federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights, was pinned down by Chauvin for over 9 minutes during the arrest that led to Floyd’s death.

Floyd’s murder ignited global protests and a significant conversation on racial injustice and policing in America.v