Farmington, NM – A Farmington man has been arrested and charged for stabbing another man during a verbal altercation. Police were dispatched around 2:36 p.m. yesterday to Brookhaven Park East located at 721 W. Apache in reference to people fighting. Dispatch informed officers responding to the scene that two male subjects had left and were running up the ditch area across the street. A third subject who was injured was walking in the street on Apache. The subject, a 34-year-old man from Kirtland, had sustained a laceration to his neck and was transported by medics to San Juan Regional Medical Center where he was admitted for his injury.

School was released early yesterday, however, Apache Elementary was placed in a preventative lockdown for staff who were still in the building. Officers searched the area and located one of the subjects, 24-year-old Raheem Benally, on a path east of the school. Detectives transported Benally to the station for questioning. He was subsequently arrested and charged with one count of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Officers continued to search for the other man, but were unable to locate him. Upon further investigation, detectives do not believe he is a suspect at this time.