PHOENIX, Ariz. – Two defendants were sentenced by Senior United States District Judge David G. Campbell last week for their role in a harrowing shooting at Hopi police officers during a high-speed car chase. Ryan Adelbert Johnson, 39, of Dilkon, was handed a sentence of 209 months behind bars, with an additional three years of supervised release to follow. Mike Duffy, III, 41, of Ganado, was sentenced to 161 months in prison, also followed by three years of supervised release.
In September 2023, after a five-day jury trial, Johnson and Duffy were found guilty on two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon; Johnson faced an additional charge of Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Duffy was convicted of Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Both men are felons who pleaded guilty to Felon in Possession of a Firearm charges.
The incident occurred on February 3, 2021, when Johnson and Duffy were driving through the Hopi Indian Reservation. They ignored a stop sign, nearly collided with a Hopi Law Enforcement Services police vehicle, and took off, refusing commands to pull over. It was during this chase that Johnson opened fire with an AM-15 rifle, narrowly missing officers. Both men are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
“Too often law enforcement is confronted with gun violence as a part of their duties,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “This sentence sends a clear message: Such violence directed at police will not be tolerated.” Daniel Mayo, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, echoed these sentiments: “The shooting was without justification and put officers’ lives at risk. The sentences are a testament to the serious consequences of such attacks.”
The investigation into this case was led by the Phoenix Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Hopi Law Enforcement Services, with assistance from various federal agencies including the ATF, BIA, and the Navajo Division of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alanna Kennedy and Christina Reid-Moore handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-08057-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-079_Duffy
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Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption|Weapons
- Source: Official Source ↗
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