Sterling Sonny Yazzie, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, Arizona 2016

A 41-year-old man from Cove, Arizona, has been sentenced to 80 months in prison for assault with a dangerous weapon. Sterling Sonny Yazzie, a member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa on April 27, 2016.

The assault occurred on July 27, 2015, when Yazzie engaged in a verbal and physical fight with the victim, also a member of the Navajo Nation. During the altercation, Yazzie grabbed an axe and struck the victim in the leg and body with the axe handle.

The victim suffered severe pain and numerous large contusions on his legs, making it extremely difficult for him to walk. The incident took place on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navajo Nation Police Department. The prosecution was handled by Kiyoko Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney, District of Arizona, Phoenix.

Yazzie's sentence of 80 months in prison is a result of his guilty plea to assault with a dangerous weapon. The case number is CR-15-8189-PCT-DJH, and the release number is 2016-037_Yazzie.

For more information on the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. You can also follow the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter at @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

CASE NUMBER: CR-15-8189-PCT-DJH

RELEASE NUMBER: 2016-037_Yazzie

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-az/pr/cove-man-sentenced-80-months-prison-assault-dangerous-weapon