Waukesha Meijer hostage situation, police shooting; man charged

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Prosecutors charged a man with six felonies Tuesday in connection to the hostage situation and officer-involved shooting that happened at the Waukesha Meijer in late July.

Charges filed

In court:

The Waukesha County District Attorney's Office accuses 21-year-old Anthony Lehman of first-degree reckless injury, false imprisonment, terrorist threats and three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety.

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Lehman, who was taken to a hospital after the shooting, was booked into the Waukesha County Jail early Tuesday, Aug. 18. He is scheduled to appear in court on those six charges Tuesday afternoon. 

Hostage situation at Meijer

The backstory:

It all unfolded on July 30. According to a criminal complaint, Lehman – who police knew and had arrested before – called 911 and said he had a hostage at the Meijer on Sunset Drive. Lehman could be heard telling the hostage, later identified as a 59-year-old man, that he would "get seriously hurt" if he did not cooperate. 

Lehman told the dispatch operator that he had a knife and a "dead man switch," the complaint said. Waukesha police later determined the "switch" was a spring clamp tool with two razor blades affixed to the end of it. 

While still on the call, court filings said Lehman continued to threaten the victim and said the situation would "go south real f****** fast" if police came into the men's restroom, where he was holding the hostage. He also demanded that a hypnotist come to the scene but provided no further information when asked why.

Meijer surveillance video

Dig deeper:

Court filings said surveillance video from the store showed Lehman got there and "immediately" went to the men's restroom at 5:44 p.m. A few minutes later, the hostage victim went into the restroom. An employee later entered the restroom but almost immediately left and reported something "concerning" to a manager.

Lehman left the restroom at 5:59, the complaint said, and approached the employee who was near the restroom. Lehman then put the knife up to the employee's wrist before running to the produce area of the store as the hostage victim ran after him holding a belt. Customers screamed as Lehman ran with the knife and "switch" in his hands. Two victims said Lehman tried to grab them in the produce section, but they pushed him away. 

Police went into the store and found Lehman and the hostage in an aisle, at which time the complaint said Lehman held a knife over his head "as if he was about to swing down or slash" the victim. Police said Lehman refused multiple commands to drop the knife before an officer shot him. The complaint did not describe anyone ordering Lehman to drop the weapon.

Court filings said additional witnesses and victims confirmed what the surveillance showed. 

Police shoot Lehman, hit hostage

What they're saying:

The complaint said the officer fired three shots, hitting Lehman in the abdomen and arm areas, due to the "immediate threat" he posed to the victim and others. Lehman was then taken to a hospital in critical condition.

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Police later learned one of the officer's shots hit the victim's thumb before hitting Legman, according to court filings. He was taken to a hospital as well but lost part of his thumb. No officers were injured. 

A detective spoke to the hostage at the hospital. According to the complaint, the hostage said he went into the restroom and Lehman came out of a stall and "immediately" tried to take him hostage. He said Lehman pulled out a bottle of glue and ordered him to glue his, the victim's, hands to the floor – but he refused – and Lehman held him at knifepoint.

The complaint said Lehman took the hostage's phone. The hostage said he heard Lehman call 911 and saw Lehman set the knife down, and the hostage "saw an opportunity" so he took off his belt and started swinging the buckle end at Lehman in an attempt to get away. Lehman left the bathroom, and the hostage chased after him "fearing he was going to harm someone else," according to court filings. The hostage chased Lehman through the store while still swinging his belt until, with Lehman approximately 10 yards away, he heard a gunshot, saw Lehman fall to the ground and felt a pain in his hand.

A detective spoke to Lehman at a hospital. Court filings said Lehman, unsolicited, asked if "he was on the news" and "what happened to the guy that was chasing me?" The next day, with police still present in the room, a psychiatry department staff member asked Lehman what his intentions were, and the complaint said Lehman told the staff member that he intended to hurt the hostage for "leverage," but did not elaborate. 

Ongoing investigation

What's next:

The Milwaukee Area Investigative Team, with the Greenfield Police Department as the lead agency, is investigating the officer-involved shooting in compliance with state law.

Police identified the officer involved as a 26-year-old man with five years of law enforcement experience. That officer was placed on administrative leave, which is department policy.

Crime and Public SafetyWaukeshaNews