Community commemorates one-year passing of Officer Yazzie
Navajo Times | Donovan Quintero A photo of fallen Navajo police officer Alex Yazzie is shown on a screen with his four children during a memorial ceremony Saturday night at the Crownpoint Chapter House in Crownpoint, N.M.
CROWNPOINT
The aftermath of last year’s deadly manhunt still resonates for the family of the late Navajo Police Officer Alex Kee Yazzie.
Yazzie was killed during a gunfight while responding to a domestic violence case in Red Valley, Ariz. on March 19, 2015. Two other officers – James Hale and Herbert Frazier – were also wounded during that incident in which Justin Fowler, the suspected gunman, was killed.
Last Saturday, the community of Crownpoint joined together and commemorated the one-year passing of Yazzie’s death with a domestic violence march through town. A moment of silence was observed in the parking lot of the chapter house as mourners released balloons in his honor at a candlelight vigil after the one-mile walk.
“Domestic violence is a big issue here on the rez and because of that my daughter lost her father,” said Analene Benally, one of the coordinators of the march.
Benally helped organize the event on behalf of her daughter Tariah Yazzie, who is the eldest child of the late police officer. His other children are Alexavier Yazzie, Alexio Yazzie and daughter Alexis Yazzie.
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Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow