Man suspected of shooting 2 officers in Delafield now in custody
WAUKESHA COUNTY, Wis. - A man suspected of shooting two police officers in Delafield Friday morning, Nov. 6 has been taken into custody, officials say. The suspect is identified as 23-year-old Nathanael Benton. He is also wanted in Fargo, North Dakota for attempted murder.
The incident began around 1:40 a.m. The two officers, one from Delafield and one from Hartland, were shot and wounded outside a Holiday Inn near I-94 and Highway 83. Both officers were taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. At least one officer fired back at the suspect.
Law enforcement officials share details of Delafield officer-involved shooting
Officials with the Waukesha County Sheriff's Office, Hartland Police Department and Delafield Police Department provided information about the shooting of two officers on Friday morning. The suspected shooter and two others are in custody.
Benton was arrested in a field not far from the Holiday Inn where the officers were shot.
After information was publicized about Benton, a citizen called authorities, advising that he saw a man matching Benton's description. He was located near Broken Bow Court in Delafield and taken into custody without incident after a search spanning seven hours.
RELATED: Man who found Delafield police shooting suspect shares story
In an afternoon news conference following the shooting, police said Benton was accompanied by two other people -- a 29-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man -- from Indiana. All three are in custody. In addition to being wanted for attempted homicide in North Dakota, Benton was convicted in 2017 in a sex crime case.
Officials say residents living in the area can go about their business -- there is no more danger to the community.
All lanes on I-94 near WIS 83 in Delafield were temporarily closed Friday morning. Golf Road and Silvernail Road were also shut down for hours.
An emergency alert went out to residents in the Delafield area Friday morning asking people to avoid the area of Highway 83 and Golf Road due to a "law enforcement incident." The alert asked residents in the immediate area to "take shelter in the lowest level of your home/business."
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.