Jemez man sentenced to federal prison in officer assault case

JEMEZ PUEBLO — A Jemez Pueblo man who was charged with assault on a pueblo officer was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, according to a Nov. 14 announcement from the Department of Justice.

“According to court documents, on May 29, 2023, a police officer with the Jemez Pueblo Police Department received a report from his sister about an individual in a nearby arroyo who was grunting and screaming for help. Upon investigation, the officer encountered Dylon Scott Sandia, 32, an enrolled member of the Jemez Pueblo, speaking with his sister. When Sandia took an aggressive posture towards the officer’s sister, he intervened and instructed Sandia to go inside. Instead, Sandia became increasingly hostile, yelling slurs at the officer and attempting to head butt him before physically pushing him,” the release states.

The release also notes that after being pushed, the officer attempted to detain Sandia, but he violently resisted, pulling the officer to the ground, where he struck him in the stomach and chest while trying to access items from the officer’s duty belt, including his firearm.

In response to the escalating violence, the officer used pepper spray and a baton to subdue Sandia.

Upon his release from prison, Sandia will be subject to three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.