In a significant ruling last week, Senior United States District Judge David G. Campbell sentenced two men for their involvement in shooting at Hopi police officers during a high-speed chase. Ryan Adelbert Johnson, 39, of Dilkon, received a sentence of 209 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Mike Duffy, III, 41, of Ganado, was sentenced to 161 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
The sentencing follows a five-day jury trial in September 2023, where Johnson and Duffy were each convicted of two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon. Additionally, Johnson was found guilty of Discharging a Firearm During a Crime of Violence, and Duffy was convicted of Possession of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Both men, who are convicted felons, also pleaded guilty to one count each of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The incident occurred on February 3, 2021, when Johnson and Duffy, while driving through the Hopi Indian Reservation, ran a stop sign and nearly collided with a Hopi Law Enforcement Services (HLES) police vehicle. Ignoring repeated commands to pull over, the men fled, with Duffy driving and Johnson using an AM-15 rifle to fire multiple shots at the pursuing officers. Thankfully, the officers narrowly avoided being hit.
“This sentence sends a message that gun violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated,” stated United States Attorney Gary Restaino. Daniel Mayo, acting special agent in charge of the FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, added, “This shooting was without justification and threatened the lives of police officers who work every day to keep their community safe.”
The investigation was conducted by the Phoenix Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Hopi Law Enforcement Services, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Navajo Division of Public Safety.
