A San Juan County resident has been indicted on second-degree murder charges, following the fatal shooting of a man earlier this month. Chevel Cottonwood, 34, stands accused of the crime, which, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Utah, took place on Navajo Nation territory.
Cottonwood was initially charged by complaint on June 11, and it is reported that the incident occurred one day prior, on June 10. The Navajo Police Department officers responded to a 911 call about gunfire in the Hovenweep area, north of Aneth, Utah. There, they found one man dead from a gunshot wound, inside a residence punctured with bullet holes through the roof. The authorities located Cottonwood concealed in nearby shrubbery, armed with ammunition. Court documents from the U.S. Department of Justice specify that the accused had an empty shell casing at the scene and had a 9mm pistol when apprehended.
During his scheduled court appearance today in Salt Lake City, the gravity of the charges was fully detailed, with Cottonwood facing multiple charges, including second-degree murder within Indian Country, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. In a coordinated effort between the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and the FBI's Monticello Resident Agency, the case reflects part of a larger federal initiative dubbed Operation Take Back America. This initiative, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, aims to combat illegal immigration, disband cartels, and protect communities from violent crimes.
