Jury Finds Pendleton Guilty Murder, Attempted Murder

FARGO, N.D. (AP/  KVLY) — A jury has convicted a North Dakota man of murder and other charges for killing his mother and a police officer during a shootout at his home last year. Authorities say 42-year-old Salamah Pendleton opened fire on Grand Forks police Officer Cody Holte and other officers in May 2020 while they were serving him and his mother with eviction papers. They say a stray bullet Pendleton fired killed his mother. He and a sheriff’s deputy were also wounded in the gun battle. In addition to two counts of murder with extreme indifference, the jury on Wednesday convicted Pendleton of two counts of attempted murder, terrorizing, reckless endangerment and possession with the intent to deliver marijuana. He faces life in prison.

Wednesday’s verdict came after a week and a half trial. Evidence in the trial relied heavily on body camera footage and bullet trajectory investigations in the May 27th, 2020 shootout.

Pendleton admitted that his bullet killed his mother, calling it a ricochet. He told jurors he then wanted to surrender to law enforcement but that he wasn’t thinking clearly after seeing his mother’s body. Holte was killed in a subsequent exchange of gunfire.

The shooting started after two Grand Forks County deputies tried to enforce an eviction on Pendleton and his mother for not paying rent.

Pendleton will be sentenced in October.