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Sharon man in standoff remains hospitalized

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Photo by Terry Mayer

Officers stand guard Monday in front of the Sharon home that was the scene of a standoff that began about 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

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Sharon man in standoff remains hospitalized

SHARON — A Sharon man involved in a 13-hour standoff with police remains hospitalized in Janesville, an official said Monday.

Eugene J. Lehman, 45, shot himself in the abdomen early Monday morning near the end of a daylong standoff with police from at least three counties in Wisconsin and one in Illinois.

He was taken to Mercy Hospital in Janesville and remains under close police watch, Walworth County Sheriff David Graves said.

Graves said police responded to Lehman’s house off Highway 67 in Sharon minutes before noon Sunday.

Lehman had burned some of his wife’s clothes and shot several rounds Saturday night after a domestic dispute, and his family felt unsafe leaving the home, Graves said. They left the home Sunday morning and called police.

Authorities were told Lehman was heavily armed, and he shot several rounds at police throughout the day, the sheriff added.

Armed vehicles and dozens of law enforcement from at least three counties and multiple police agencies helped secure the area.

One of Walworth County’s armored vehicles was still being fixed after a Richmond Township man on Dec. 29 engaged in a standoff with police and shot the vehicle with a rifle. Neighboring counties sent their armored vehicles and personnel.

People living in two homes were evacuated from the neighborhood off Highway 67 near Koch Road. There were no reports of injuries as of Sunday night.

Graves said Lehman has some criminal history in Illinois but nothing in Wisconsin. The sheriff said the man has lived in the state for a short period, but Graves could not provide specifics about his location or criminal background other than it involved a felony.

Lehman’s family indicated the man has no recorded mental health issues, Graves added.

Walworth County Court was closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and charges and bond for Lehman are pending. At least one charge of possession of a firearm by a felon is expected.