Kerley Kornell Biggs
April 1, 2:26 pm
Aggravated DWI (Second)
The McKinley County Sheriff’s Dept. charged Kerley Kornell Biggs, 30, of Pine Hill, with aggravated assault on a peace officer and aggravated DWI.
Deputies were alerted to a chase involving a 2013 Chrysler with front-end damage at 2:22 pm April 1 on southbound N.M. 602.
A deputy found the vehicle near mile marker 16 parked by a white gate. A man got out of the Chrysler and the deputy spoke to the driver. Biggs got back in the car and the deputy twice ordered him to step out. Biggs told Sgt. Tammy Houghtaling he went to Gallup to buy a bottle and wanted to go home. He asked Houghtaling to follow him home.
In her report, Houghtaling said she ordered Biggs to get out of the Chrysler a third time, but he attempted to drive off, nearly striking her.
Houghtaling ran back to her unit to block the road and prevent the Biggs from leaving.
The driver backed into another Deputy Justin Benally’s vehicle.
Biggs tried to escape out a passenger door. But stopped when Houghtaling took out her taser. Deputy Jeff Barnhurst, who had arrived on the scene, handcuffed Biggs.
Biggs gave a breath sample to the nurse at PHS, while getting a medical clearance. He blew a 0.21, more than twice the legal limit for driving, the report said.
Kerley Kornell Biggs was arrested on numerous charges including aggravated assault on a peace officer; aggravated driving while intoxicated, second offense; two counts of resisting and evading deputies; and leaving the scene of an accident. He posted a $1,500 bond.
Yazzie Emerson
April 4, 4:53 pm
Aggravated DWI (Second)
Metro Dispatch was contacted by a caller who said they had nearly been hit by a drunk driver near Gilbert Ortega’s east. The caller said the male driver took off traveling west on Highway 118.
Deputy Johnson Lee saw the vehicle and caught up with it. The car was in the wrong lane and came to a stop on the shoulder of the road when Lee activated his emergency lights. The car stopped.
Lee approached the driver, identified as Yazzie Emerson, 49, of Churchrock, who he said smelled of alcohol. He asked Emerson to get out of the car.
When the driver exited the vehicle, Lee spotted a pint of vodka that was mostly empty.
When Emerson failed one of the field sobriety tests he was placed under arrest for DWI.
He agreed to a breath test. The results were .32 and .32.
When Lee drove him to the McKinley County Adult Detention Center, his temperature was taken and found to be a little high, so he was not accepted there.
Sgt. Garylle James advised Lee to place Emerson into detox and summons him into court. Emerson was placed in detox.
Emerson was released on his own recognizance by a judge.
