Navajo Man Charged with Assault, Firearms Offenses

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that Tyrell Willie was ordered detained after he appeared at a preliminary and detention hearing before a U.S. Magistrate Judge on a criminal complaint charging him with assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury, and the use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Willie, 37, is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. 

According to the criminal complaint, on May 28, 2023, in Shiprock, Willie allegedly drove to the home of a woman he had met on Facebook approximately two weeks before. When he arrived, the woman, identified as Jane Doe in court documents, came out of the residence and sat in the passenger side of Willie’s truck. After a short discussion, Willie allegedly became upset for an unknown reason, got out of his truck, walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and tried to throw Jane Doe out of the truck. Doe threatened to scream if Willie did not let her go, which he did not, so Doe screamed. Doe’s son, identified as John Doe in court records, came out of the residence, grabbed Willie, and threw him to the ground. Jane Doe got out of the truck and Willie got back up, got back into the truck, then drove away, hitting Jane Doe’s and her neighbor’s fence in the process.

Jane Doe believed that she observed Willie circling the block twice before he left. About thirty minutes later, John Doe thought he heard the truck approaching, so he went outside. While he was outside, Jane Doe saw Willie’s truck pull up slowly with the lights off. Jane Doe heard gunshots and John Doe yelled. When Jane Doe walked outside, John Doe was holding his midsection. Almost immediately, Jane Doe was able to flag down two marked police officers from the Navajo Police Department and told them what had happened. The officers had been responding to multiple calls reporting a truck driving erratically and causing property damage in the area, had heard the gunshots and had seen Willie’s truck drive by them. One officer pursued Willie while the second transported John Doe to the hospital.

The pursuing officers located Willie’s truck stalled on the road and initiated a high-risk stop. Willie stepped out of the truck holding a shotgun. After being given commands to drop the gun, Willie slid the shotgun under the truck.  The shotgun was loaded with four shells. 

A complaint is only an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Willie faces a minimum of ten years in prison.

FBI Farmington Agency investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case.

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