Fargo man convicted of shooting two police officers in Wisconsin

WAUKESHA, Wis. – A jury has convicted a Fargo man of shooting two Wisconsin police officers.

Twenty-five-year-old Nathanael Benton was found guilty Thursday of first-degree attempted homicide, reckless endangerment and being a felon in possession of a firearm after a three-day trial.

Benton testified during the trial that he had shot someone in Fargo a week earlier, fled to Indiana and was on his way back to North Dakota with a friend and another person when he stopped in Delafield. Officers responding to a hit-and-run in the area questioned his group as they were entering the hotel.

As Henning approached Benton to search him Benton pulled out a handgun concealed in his waistband and fired 10 rounds. Benton testified that he wasn’t trying to hurt the officers and was just trying to get away.

Benson’s attorney, Jeffrey Jensen, argued that Benton fired quickly and wildly, showing that he never intended to kill the officers.

Benton is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 29. He faces up to 78 1/2 years in prison.