Source: US FBI
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man is facing federal charges for a violent assault that left two people seriously injured.
According to court documents, on August 5, 2025, Joshua Black, 20, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, became violent during an argument at the home. Black assaulted another man by slamming his head into a fireplace and striking him repeatedly with a shovel and a wooden board. The man sustained life-threatening head injuries and was later airlifted to a local hospital. During the same incident, Black also assaulted a woman, kicking her and taking her mobility aids, and pushed another man to the ground.
During a search of the residence, officers located Black hiding inside a box spring and took him into custody. Investigators recovered bloodied objects at the scene, including a broken shovel, a wooden board, and a crutch.
Black is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in third-party custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted, Black faces up to 10 years in prison per count.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Philip Russell, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case as part of Summer Heat, the FBI’s nationwide initiative targeting violent crime during the summer months. As part of this effort, the FBI has launched a multi-pronged offensive to crush violent crime. By surging resources alongside state and local partners, executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, and dismantling violent gangs nationwide, we are aggressively restoring safety in our communities across the country.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.