Farmington man charged in road rage death after officer struck victim

A Farmington man has been charged in the death of Ernest Begay, 46, after a confrontation left Begay lying in the road and a patrol vehicle struck him near East Broadway and North Butler Avenue.

Avery Betsuie, 46, was charged with one count of involuntary manslaughter in the April 14 death, and was booked into the San Juan County Detention Center on Tuesday. Court records identify Betsuie as homeless, and a pretrial detention motion says he had a history of violent behavior and had violated probation.

Police said the events began around 12:15 a.m. on April 14, when officers were in the area making contact with a group of people and one person fled on a bicycle. Officer Jasmine Hernandez was searching for that fleeing suspect when her patrol vehicle struck Begay. Farmington police said Hernandez’s emergency lights were not activated at the time of the crash.

Video reviewed by police showed a second officer nearly striking Begay moments before Hernandez’s vehicle hit him, then swerving away after noticing a man in the roadway. The department said Hernandez’s patrol vehicle was the only vehicle involved in the fatal collision, and she was placed on administrative assignment while the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office investigates.

The roadway near Broadway and Butler was shut down after the crash and remained closed until 7:09 a.m. Farmington police also released nearby business surveillance footage that showed Begay lying in the road and the patrol car striking him before officers secured the scene.

Begay’s obituary identifies him as Ernest Begay Jr. It says he was born Jan. 7, 1980, in Shiprock, attended Bloomfield schools and earned his high school diploma. He worked for Navajo Agricultural Products Industry and Navajo Mesa Farms, and was remembered by his mother, siblings, nieces and nephews.

Days before the fatal incident, Betsuie had also been charged with armed robbery and criminal trespass after allegedly hitting a man with a cane and stealing his backpack. The new involuntary manslaughter case now ties together a roadside assault, a man left in the roadway and a police vehicle strike that turned deadly in the middle of Farmington.