2 Arizona men convicted of shooting Hopi police officer in 2021

Lina Portman5 days ago

0 2 minutes read

Two men from the Hopi reservation were each sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for shooting a Hopi police officer in 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

On June 21, a 17-year sentence was handed down to Adelbert Johnson, 39, of Dilkon, and a 14-year sentence was handed down to Mike Duffey III, 41, of Ganado, according to the DOJ in a press release.

Both men were convicted of two counts of assault with a deadly weapon in addition to various firearms-related charges for each of the men, the DOJ said.

On February 3, 2021, Johnson and Duffey were in a vehicle traveling through the Hopi reservation in northeastern Arizona.

Both men are members of the neighboring Navajo Nation, according to the DOJ.

Duffey was behind the wheel when he ran a stop sign and nearly collided with a Hopi Law Enforcement vehicle, eluding police and beginning a brief chase, according to the Justice Department.

Johnson allegedly used an AR-15-style rifle to fire multiple shots at pursuing officers and ignored commands to stop, according to the DOJ.

No officers or residents were reportedly injured by the shooting, but police “narrowly avoided being hit,” according to the DOJ.

Both men pleaded guilty and were convicted of the charges against them in September 2023 following a five-day jury trial.

“This shooting was unjustified and threatened the lives of police officers who work every day to keep their communities safe. An attack like this has serious consequences, as demonstrated by the sentences handed down to the defendants,” said FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Daniel Mayo in Phoenix.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Gary Restaino said he is considering lengthy sentences for Johnson and Duffey to send a message about police shootings.

“This conviction sends a message that when violence is directed against them, it will not be tolerated,” Restaino said.

Each of the men is also a convicted felon, which adds to his count of possessing a firearm.

They each face three years of supervised probation after their release.

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The Justice Department press release said the FBI's Phoenix Field Office and Hopi Law Enforcement conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Arms firearms and explosives and Navajo and tribal law enforcement officials.

Lina Portman

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