Alexander M.M. Uballez U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico
A man from Church Rock, New Mexico, has been sentenced to 147 months in federal prison for shooting at law enforcement officers on the Navajo Nation. Elijah Touchine, aged 24 and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, faced charges related to an incident that occurred after midnight on July 22, 2023.
Court documents reveal that officers from the Navajo Police Department and New Mexico State Police responded to reports of a man making threats and firing a gun near a residence on the Navajo Nation. During their investigation, officers came under fire from an unknown assailant and had to seek cover as bullets landed nearby.
Later that day, Touchine was apprehended at a Gallup gun store while attempting to purchase more firearms and ammunition. During questioning, he admitted to shooting at the officers and expressed hostility towards police.
In Touchine's vehicle, authorities found a .40 caliber handgun and ammunition in a black bag. Investigators also recovered multiple shell casings at the scene.
Following his prison term, Touchine will undergo three years of supervised release. Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation with assistance from various local law enforcement agencies. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting this case.
