ND man given 80 years for shooting 2 officers in Wisconsin

By The Associated Press

(ABC7 / YouTube)

WAUKESHA, Wis. (AP) — A North Dakota man convicted of shooting two police officers in Wisconsin in 2020 will likely spend the rest of his life in prison.

A judge in Waukesha County on Monday added another 80 years to the 50-year sentence Nathanael Benton is already serving for trying to kill an inmate in jail with a sharpened toothbrush.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Jensen asked the judge to give Benton, 25, a concurrent sentence for shooting and wounding the officers. Judge Paul Bugenhagen Jr. instead made the sentences consecutive and noted the officers are still healing from the shooting.

“They can’t work in their chosen profession and can’t do things with their kids,” the judge said.

The two officers who were shot were present for the sentencing, but did not speak. The courtroom was packed with officers showing their support, WITI-TV reported.

In November 2020, officers from the City of Delafield and Village of Hartland responded to a possible hit-and-run crash at the Holiday Inn in Delafield.

After speaking with Benton at the scene and a woman he was with, Benton produced a handgun and shot the officers at close range.

Multiple jurisdictions responded and began searching for Benton, who had fled from the scene.

Authorities learned during the investigation that Benton had an outstanding warrant from Fargo, North Dakota for attempted homicide on Nov. 1, 2020.

Acting on a citizen tip, Benton was arrested in Delafield following a seven-hour search.