A Wisconsin sheriff's deputy has been charged after he blamed his three-year-old daughter for shooting another man, as well as his seven-year-old son, while turkey hunting.
Deputy James Lehman, 35, of Union Grove, was charged on August 17 with two felony counts of reckless injury and two counts of negligent use of a weapon after his three-year-old injured a father and son while she attempted to shoot at a turkey at the Honey Creek Wildlife Area in April.
While the father and daughter were out hunting, Lehman 'saw what he thought was a turkey head' and 'had his three-year-old daughter pull the trigger,' the complaint, obtained by TMJ 4, said.
The gunshots struck Lehman's coworker, 40, and his son, both of whom were not identified. The father-son duo were also hunting in the youth event.
After the bullet struck the boy, his head began bleeding excessively. His father had been hit in the back, lower torso, left hand, forearm, and upper arm, according to Fox 6 Now.
The seven-year-old boy underwent multiple surgeries after being struck and currently still has pellets in his spinal cord, skull, and brain, TMJ 4 reported.
It was one of the first times Lehman had been 'hunting independently,' and he is 'not a very experienced turkey hunter,' he told investigators, the complaint said.
Lehman also didn't have a hunter safety certificate, but he is exempt from needing one as he has prior military service.
Deputy James Lehman, 35, of Union Grove, was charged on August 17 with four felonies after his daughter shot his coworker and his son in April while they were turkey hunting
'He had completed a US Armed Forces basic training. [He] reported that, obviously, to the DNR, and then you know we waive the hunter education certification that's necessary,' Renee Thok, hunter education administrator for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, told TMJ 4.
Non-certified people can hunt in Wisconsin as long as they are within arm's reach from someone who is or someone exempt from needing the education course.
Lehman was placed on administrative leave on April 12 and remains on it, the Racine County Sheriff's Office confirmed to the Daily Mail.
'The Sheriff’s Office was aware of the allegations involving Lehman and allowed the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to take the lead in the criminal investigation,' the sheriff's office said in a statement.
'This was done to protect the integrity of the DNR’s criminal investigation.'
It will also begin its own investigation now that charges have been filed against Lehman.
'The purpose of the administrative investigation will be to determine whether Lehman violated any Sheriff’s Office policies or procedures. The administrative investigation will be conducted independently of the criminal proceedings, consistent with applicable law and Sheriff’s Office policy,' the statement added.
Lehman and his daughter were hunting around the Honey Creek Wildlife Area when the deputy thought he spotted a turkey and let his daughter shoot at it. It struck his coworker, 40, and his son, seven
'Because the criminal case remains pending, the Sheriff’s Office will not comment further on the specific allegations or evidence at this time.'
Lehman is due in court on September 10.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Lehman's lawyer for comment.
