NM Officer Dies in Off-Duty Crash
The Kayenta Police District in New Mexico is mourning the death of a police officer who was killed in a vehicle accident Monday night.
Officer Nelson L. Martin died in a crash. (Official Photo)
The Kayenta Police District in New Mexico is mourning the death of a police officer who was killed in a vehicle accident Monday night, reports the Navajo Times.
Diné Police Officer Nelson L. Martin was 35 years old, according to public records obtained by the Navajo Times. He was originally from Tsébii'ndzisgaii, Utah.
The accident happened on U.S. Highway 89 at milepost 445.8 in Gray Mountain, Arizona, according to Navajo Police Chief Phillip Francisco.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety responded to the incident.
The vehicle Martin was in swerved right before it crashed into a semi-truck, said Francisco in an interview. Martin was a passenger and was killed instantly.
Rosales Yazzie, the driver of the vehicle, was badly injured. An ambulance crew resuscitated him twice, then transported him to a hospital where he is now recovering, said Francisco.
Yazzie, who was intoxicated, could be facing vehicular manslaughter charges. Yazzie is not a police officer.
"He (Martin) was not working at the time," Francisco said. "He was coming back from Flagstaff on personal days off."
Lee said the investigation is ongoing. The semi-truck driver was reported to be OK.
More Patrol
The Threat That Fits Under Your Fingernail
What cops need to know about alpha-gal, the tick-borne allergy that can turn an ordinary exposure into a problem weeks or months later.
Read More →
NLEOMF Honors September 2026 Officers of the Month
Four Bradenton Police Department officers were selected as the NLEOMF Officers of the Month for September 2026 for a nighttime water rescue.
Read More →
Blackhawk Debuts Mini EDC Pocket Multi-Tool
The Blackhawk Mini EDC Pocket Multi-Tool stows easily in pants pockets thanks to a sturdy stainless steel pocket clip and incorporates several essential/emergency tools into a single, high-mobility unit.
Read More →
Team Wendy Introduces the EXFIL Endurance Ballistic Helmet, Engineered to Reduce the Burden of Extended Wear
Team Wendy has launched its EXFIL Endurance, a new lightweight ballistic helmet engineered to deliver protection, comfort, and fit during demanding, extended operations.
Read More →
The First Responders Children’s Foundation National First Responders Day Roll Call of Heroes Ceremony Returns to Times Square, NYC
First Responders Children’s Foundation (FRCF), in collaboration with T-Mobile, will host the Roll Call of Heroes ceremony in Times Square to commemorate National First Responders Day on Wednesday, Oct. 28. During the event, FRCF will present 18 Hero Awards.
Read More →
Streamlight to Showcase Newest Lighting Products for Law Enforcement Professionals at IACP 2026
Streamlight will showcase its newest lights for law enforcement at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference & Expo. Featured lights will include the TLR-3 X, the PolyTac 1X, and more.
Read More →
Streamlight Portable Scene Light III Wins 2026 OH&S New Product of the Year Award
Streamlight’s Portable Scene Light III has won the 2026 Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) New Product of the Year Award in the Lighting category.
Read More →
Adept Armor Introduces Two New Rifle Plates
Adept Armor has launched two new Level IV ballistic plates, the Emperor and the Archon Mark 2, which brings Adept Armor’s new Quatroid ceramic to the high-threat, performance-value center of the range at 5.2 pounds.
Read More →
POLICE Product Test: Benchmade Bailout
The Benchmade Bailout is a slim, lightweight carry knife with a deep-ride pocket clip and comes in a variety of blade steels and scales. Here is a detailed review of the Taiga Green Bailout, released earlier this year.
Read More →
NLEOMF Announces July 2026 Officer of the Month
NLEOMF honored a Michigan deputy sheriff as the July 2026 Officer of the Month for rescuing a trapped driver from a burning vehicle following a Fourth of July crash.
Read More →