Tucker Carlson addressed the conviction and imprisonment of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, suggesting that Chauvin is serving a 21-year sentence for a crime he did not commit. The statement comes amidst new developments regarding the attack on Chauvin in prison.
The former Fox News host highlighted what he sees as a significant miscarriage of justice in the case of Chauvin. Chauvin became a household name following the death of George Floyd in May 2020, an event that sparked nationwide protests and calls for police reform. Convicted of murder, he is currently serving a 21-year sentence in federal prison.
During the segment, Carlson referred to the medical examiner’s report on George Floyd, saying that Floyd was not asphyxiated and suggesting that a drug overdose, rather than Chauvin’s actions might have been the cause of death. He pointed to the high levels of fentanyl found in Floyd’s system, a detail he claims has been largely overlooked or ignored by mainstream media and the public.
“Someone just tried to murder him. If they’d do this to him, they’d do it to you,” said Carlson.
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On Black Friday, Chauvin was stabbed by him 22 times in a federal prison attack. According to reports, the assailant identified as 52-year-old John Turscak, carried out the attack with an improvised knife in the prison’s law library.
Gregory Erickson, Chauvin’s lawyer, appeared on Carlson’s show on Thursday to provide further details, expressing his concern over the prison’s handling of the situation and the lack of communication following the attack.
“Well, I can tell you what we know, and it’s not a tremendous amount. Everything, the only firsthand reports I’m getting, are from his family,” Erickson explained. “We attempted to contact the Tucson Federal Institution on numerous occasions and were rebuffed.”
Turscak, who is serving a 30-year sentence for crimes committed while a member of the Mexican Mafia gang, said that the attack was premeditated, driven by Chauvin’s high-profile status as the officer convicted for George Floyd’s death. Chauvin, who was transferred to the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Arizona, was supposed to be serving his sentence in a secure and controlled environment.
When interviewed by FBI agents following the incident, Turscak explained that his attack on Chauvin during Black Friday was meant as a symbolic gesture linking to the Black Lives Matter movement. He also mentioned the “Black Hand” emblem commonly associated with the Mexican Mafia, according to statements from the prosecutors.
Turscak faces multiple charges including assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault causing serious bodily harm. Both the attempted murder charge and the assault with intent to commit murder charge carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison each.
Court records do not list an attorney for Turscak. He has a history of representing himself in various legal proceedings from prison according to the Associated Press. Following the stabbing incident Turscak was transferred to a nearby federal penitentiary in Tucson.
After the stabbing, Chauvin’s mother Carolyn Pawlenty, was alerted through media reports. She said that she was not contacted by any prison officials.
“How the hell do these news agencies know and his own mother doesn’t even know? And that [prison] has an emergency contact number [for me],” Pawlenty said, adding that she is “worried and scared” about her son’s condition. “I can’t even think what to say. I haven’t been to bed and made a path in my kitchen and living room floor by pacing.”
Chauvin’s attorney, Bill Mohrman, said he attempted to contact the Bureau of Prisons on behalf of his client but has not heard back from the agency.
Prison staff were forced to perform life-saving measures before Chauvin was hospitalized, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Chauvin’s condition was since listed as “stable.” The Supreme court recently refused to hear Chauvin’s appeal of the 2021 conviction, who argued that the jury was biased against him.