Norman Yazzie, Point-Blank Shooting, NM 2016

ALBUQUERQUE – Norman Yazzie, 56, a member of the Navajo Nation from Shiprock, N.M., was handed a ten-year federal prison sentence plus four years of supervised release for pulling the trigger in a violent crime. The grim details of Yazzie’s transgression came to light on April 29, 2016, when he shot a victim at point-blank range with a rifle, leaving her with severe injuries to the forehead and knee.

The Navajo man’s mayhem began in May 2016 with his arrest following an alleged assault that resulted in firearms offenses. According to federal documents, Yazzie’s bullets struck terror into the heart of San Juan County, N.M., when he allegedly gunned down a victim on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

On May 24, 2016, Yazzie was formally charged with assault with a dangerous weapon, intent to cause bodily harm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. His actions that day did not go unpunished as he entered a guilty plea on November 16, 2016.

The FBI’s Farmington office and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety worked tirelessly to bring Yazzie to justice, their efforts bolstered by the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project. This initiative, sponsored by the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women, aims to enhance the prosecution of violent offenses against Native American women in federal or tribal courts.

The Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project is a testament to the Justice Department’s commitment to improving public safety in tribal communities. It was developed with insights from annual consultations on violence against women and represents an ongoing effort to engage, coordinate, and act against such crimes.

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