A Morgan Lake man pleaded guilty on Apr. 16 to striking and injuring a Navajo Nation Police officer with his car, according to federal authorities.
The case highlights the risks faced by law enforcement officers responding to suspected drunk driving incidents and underscores the seriousness of assaults against police in tribal communities.
Court documents show that on September 28, 2025, Kendall Benally, age 42 and an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, refused commands from officers who responded to a report of a suspected drunk driver. Benally attempted to flee in his vehicle, striking both an officer and a marked police unit before fleeing on foot. He was located and arrested shortly afterward.
Benally pleaded guilty to assault with intent to commit a felony. He faces up to ten years in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced the plea agreement. The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI's Albuquerque Field Office investigated with help from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
