Norman Yazzie, Discharging Firearm During Crime of Violence, New Me…

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – A brutal assault on the Navajo Nation will send Norman Yazzie, 56, to federal prison for a decade. Yazzie, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and resident of Shiprock, New Mexico, admitted today in Albuquerque federal court to discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

The incident, occurring April 29, 2016, in San Juan County, involved Yazzie shooting a victim – not once, but twice – with a rifle. The victim sustained horrific injuries, struck in the forehead and the knee, leaving them with serious bodily injury. Yazzie’s arrest came in May 2016, following a criminal complaint detailing the vicious attack.

An indictment followed on May 24, 2016, leveling charges of assault with a dangerous weapon (a rifle), assault with intent to do bodily harm, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and the critical charge of using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Today, Yazzie bypassed a trial, opting to plead guilty to the firearms charge, acknowledging his act of shooting the victim in the head and knee.

The terms of the plea agreement are stark: ten years in prison. A sentencing hearing date has not yet been set, but the outcome appears sealed. This case wasn’t a simple street brawl; it was a calculated act of violence committed on tribal land, demanding federal intervention. The FBI’s Farmington office and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety worked in tandem to build the case against Yazzie.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Novaline D. Wilson is spearheading the prosecution, operating within the framework of the Tribal Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (Tribal SAUSA) Pilot Project. This initiative, funded by the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women and administered by the Pueblo of Laguna, aims to bolster tribal prosecution of violent crimes, ensuring no case falls through the cracks. The program focuses on training tribal prosecutors in federal law and investigative techniques.

The impetus for the Tribal SAUSA Pilot Project stems directly from annual tribal consultations addressing violence against women. It’s a clear signal from the Justice Department: they are intensifying efforts to engage with tribal communities and prioritize public safety. While Yazzie’s plea brings a degree of closure, it serves as a grim reminder of the violence that continues to plague Native American lands and the need for continued vigilance and collaboration between federal and tribal authorities.