Assaulting a Federally Commissioned Tribal Officer Lands To’hajiilee Man in Hot Water

ALBUQUERQUE – A Navajo Nation man from To’hajiilee, N.M. is behind bars and facing up to 20 years in federal prison after allegedly assaulting a federally commissioned tribal officer.

A 34-year-old Bruce Piaso, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was arraigned in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M. on an indictment charging him with assaulting a federal officer. Piaso entered a not guilty plea to the indictment and was ordered detained pending trial.

According to the indictment, Piaso allegedly attacked an officer of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety on May 28, 2016, on the Navajo Indian Reservation by punching and kicking the officer while attempting to avoid arrest. Piaso allegedly jumped on the officer and attempted to take control of the officer’s weapon.

The incident occurred in Cibola County, N.M. and Piaso was taken into tribal custody on May 28, 2016. He remained in tribal custody until his arrest on the federal charge.

Piaso was indicted on June 30, 2016, and charged with assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury, and assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.

The case was investigated by the Albuquerque office of the FBI and the Crownpoint office of the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case under a federal anti-violence initiative that targets ‘the worst of the worst’ offenders for federal prosecution.

Under this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal law enforcement agencies work with New Mexico’s District Attorneys and state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies to target violent or repeat offenders primarily based on their prior criminal convictions for federal prosecution with the goal of removing repeat offenders from communities in New Mexico for as long as possible.

Because New Mexico’s violent crime rate, on a per capita basis, is one of the highest in the nation, New Mexico’s law enforcement community is collaborating to target repeat offenders from counties with the highest violent crime rates, including Cibola County, under this initiative.

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