19-year-old man arrested in fight that left 16-year-old boy stabbed to death in Herriman

HERRIMAN— A man was arrested during a violent confrontation in Herriman that resulted in the stabbing death of a 16-year-old boy on Wednesday.

Keith Tyree McClendon, 19, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated assault resulting in serious injury.

Police say he “stalked and attacked” a 17-year-old boy. But it was a 16-year-old boy who was with McClendon who was killed.

“These are decisions that are made by people who may not be in the right frame of mind; they’re probably a little immature, but they have lifelong consequences,” said Cody Stromberg, deputy chief of the Herriman Police Department.

And now we have several individuals and families whose lives have been forever changed by yesterday's decision.

Shortly before 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Herriman police were called to a report of a 16-year-old boy who had been stabbed in the chest. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deceased teen, identified only by his initials, NL, was with McClendon and two others. McClendon was looking for a 17-year-old boy with the intention of molesting him, according to a police booking affidavit.

“Keith also admitted to using brass knuckles against (the boy), which were later found,” the affidavit states.

Teenager stabbed and killed during fight in Herriman, police say

According to a Herriman police statement released Thursday, McClendon's group went to Valley High School's graduation ceremony at nearby Zions Bank Stadium to confront the 17-year-old and a 18 year old woman.

“They have a long history with each other. There are documented confrontations of a similar nature dating back at least a year between these two groups of individuals,” Stromberg said. “What exactly are they fighting for? We don't know at this point.

McClendon and his group spotted the 17-year-old in a Herriman neighborhood near Solo Street (14990 South and 3600 West). The teen was in a car with the 18-year-old woman, police said. McClendon approached the car and began attacking the teen “by hitting him with the brass knuckles,” the affidavit states. The 17-year-old boy “was hit several times in the face, head and body.” The teen also suffered a “stab wound to the face,” police said, while the woman had an undisclosed injury to her hand.

Police say the attack was so serious that the other two boys, McClendon and NL, left.

However, at some point during the assault, NL was stabbed and died, according to police.

Based on information gathered from witnesses at the scene, police attended a residence in Riverton.

“Due to the nature of this incident and the history of those believed to be involved, including the history of weapons, the South Valley SWAT Team was called to the scene,” police said.

The SWAT team surrounded the house and ordered people out. A 15-year-old boy and his 48-year-old mother, “directly involved in the incident,” were arrested, according to police. Two other people – the 17-year-old boy and 18-year-old woman who were allegedly involved in the fight – were transported by family members to a local hospital with injuries that were not life-threatening.

Police said the investigation was still ongoing Thursday and officers were working with the Salt Lake County District Attorney's Office to determine what charges could be filed and against how many people.

Contributor: Alex Cabrero, KSL TV