A Wisconsin sheriff's deputy has been charged with four felonies after he allegedly blamed his three-year-old daughter for shooting a man and his seven-year-old son during a turkey hunting excursion. Deputy James Lehman, 35, of Union Grove, faces two felony counts of reckless injury and two counts of negligent use of a weapon.
The incident occurred in April at the Honey Creek Wildlife Area. According to the criminal complaint, Lehman instructed his three-year-old daughter to pull the trigger after he believed he saw a turkey. The shots fired struck his coworker, 40, and the coworker's son, 7, who were also participating in a youth hunting event.
The seven-year-old boy sustained severe injuries, requiring multiple surgeries and still has pellets lodged in his spinal cord, skull, and brain. The father was hit in the back, lower torso, left hand, forearm, and upper arm.
Lehman told investigators that this was one of his first times hunting independently and that he is not an experienced turkey hunter. He was exempt from requiring a hunter safety certificate due to prior military service, which allows individuals to hunt in Wisconsin without the certification if they are within arm's reach of someone who holds one or is exempt.
Lehman was placed on administrative leave on April 12 and remains so, according to the Racine County Sheriff's Office. The Sheriff's Office stated it allowed the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to lead the criminal investigation to protect its integrity. The Sheriff's Office will now commence its own administrative investigation to determine if Lehman violated any departmental policies or procedures.
Lehman is scheduled to appear in court on September 10. His attorney has been contacted for comment.