2 Arizona men sentenced to over 10 years each for shooting at Hopi police

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

On June 21, a 17-year sentence was delivered for Adelbert Johnson, 39, from Dilkon, and a 14-year sentence for Mike Duffey III, 41, from Ganado, according to the DOJ in a news release.

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

On Feb. 3, 2021, Johnson and Duffey were in a vehicle driving through the Hopi Reservation located in northeastern Arizona.

The two men are members of the nearby Navajo Nation, according to the DOJ.

Duffey was at the wheel when he ran through a stop sign and nearly collided with a Hopi Law Enforcement Services vehicle, evading police and starting a brief pursuit, according to the DOJ.

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

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

The two men pleaded guilty and were convicted of the charges in September 2023 after a jury trial that lasted five days.

“This shooting was without justification and threatened the lives of police officers who work every day to keep their community safe. An attack like this has serious consequences as proven by the sentences handed down to the defendants,” said Daniel Mayo, acting special agent of the FBI's Phoenix Field Office.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona Gary Restaino said he intended for the heavy sentencing of Johnson and Duffey to send a message about shooting at police.

“This sentence sends a message that when the violence is directed at them, it will not be tolerated," Restaino said.

Each of the men also is a convicted felon, which added on a count of a felon in possession of a firearm.

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

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The DOJ news release said the Phoenix Field Office of the FBI and Hopi Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Navajo and tribal law enforcement officials.