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Waukesha Man Charged After Meijer Hostage Standoff That Ended in Police Shooting

An independent investigative team is reviewing body-camera and bystander video before forwarding a report to prosecutors.

Overview

  • Investigators say 21-year-old Anthony J. Lehman took a 59-year-old man hostage inside the Meijer on July 30 and was armed with a knife plus a spring clamp fitted with two razor blades that he called a “dead man switch.”
  • Police say an officer fired three shots when Lehman refused commands and raised a weapon, striking Lehman and unintentionally wounding the hostage’s hand; the hostage suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was released from the hospital.
  • A criminal complaint filed August 18 charges Lehman with six felonies, including first-degree reckless injury, false imprisonment, three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety, and making terrorist threats with a dangerous-weapon enhancer on each count.
  • The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, led by the Greenfield Police Department, has reviewed witness statements, body-worn camera footage and bystander video and will send its independent report to the Waukesha County district attorney for review.
  • The officer who fired has been placed on administrative leave and Lehman is expected to be released from medical care to face prosecution as the separate criminal and officer-involved investigations proceed.