PHOENIX - On April 27, 2016, Sterling Sonny Yazzie, 41, of Cove, Arizona, a member of the Navajo Nation, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 80 months in prison. Yazzie had previously pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon.
On July 27, 2015, Yazzie engaged in a verbal and physical fight with the victim, also a member of the Navajo Nation. 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 that made it extremely difficult for him to walk. The incident occurred on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation.
The investigation in this case 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.
CASE NUMBER: CR-15-8189-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2016-037_Yazzie
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
