Thursday, March 28, 2024

Diné faces manslaughter, hit-and-run and endangerment after colliding with police officer

Diné faces manslaughter, hit-and-run and endangerment after colliding with police officer

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Chandler, Ariz.,  Police Officer David Payne.

Chandler, Ariz., Police Officer David Payne. (Photo courtesy of Chandler Police Dept.)

A Navajo man faces charges of manslaughter, endangerment, and hit-and-run after colliding with an Chandler, Ariz. motorcycle officer.

According to authorities, Officer David Payne, was sitting on his motor on duty at a red light around 1 a.m. Friday when a car hit him at the intersection of Chandler Boulevard and Pennington Drive.

Brian Yazzie, 31, a Diné, reportedly drove off and stopped about a mile later where he was taken into custody. He had an 11-month-old in the back of his car.

Payne was taken to a hospital where he died less than an hour later.

Investigators believe alcohol was a factor in the wreck.

David Payne was a seven-year veteran of the Chandler Police Department and a member of the DUI Traffic Unit. He leaves behind his children and his parents.

Chandler Police say Payne was a highly motivated and a highly trained police officer. He is the second police officer to die in a traffic wreck this week. He is the second officer in the agency to lose his life at the very same intersection.

Officer Robert Nielson on June 12, 2002 was responding to a car crash when a turning vehicle high his patrol car, causing it to slam into a traffic signal. The fuel tank ruptured and his car burst into flames.

About The Author

Krista Allen

Krista Allen is editor of the Navajo Times.

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