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Two recent standoffs stretch sheriff office resources

WALWORTH COUNTY -- Two standoffs in the past four weeks have stretched the resources of the Walworth County Sheriff's Office.

Walworth County Sheriff David Graves told Fox 6 News that he called in six other agencies to help with Sunday's incident. He also exhausted overtime hours for his staff, who still had to cover other parts of the county.

Graves says the bill will be expensive, but worth it, in an incident where no lives were lost.

The Walworth County standoff was one of three over the weekend in southeastern Wisconsin. Law enforcement responded to incidents in West Bend and West Allis as well.

On Sunday, a Sharon man was involved in a 13-hour standoff following a domestic disturbance.

Eugene J. Lehman reportedly became violent and took his wife’s clothes out onto the lawn and burned them, according to police.

Deputies shot tear gas into the home, and at one point, Lehman 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.

At some point during the standoff, Lehman shot himself in the abdomen, but the injury is not expected to be life threatening.

Lehman is under police watch at Mercy Hospital in Janesville.

The Sharon incident followed another standoff Dec. 29 in which shots also were fired at sheriff's deputies.

The incident began when Richard L. Sallmann, 49, of Delavan, allegedly pointed a gun at one of his two daughters, ages 10 and 13, who were with him at a house on Turtle Lake Road.

Sallmann's son soon arrived at the house and said Sallmann pointed the gun at him and threatened to shoot all three.

Deputies rescued the daughters from the property around noon and took them to be with family.

Before his surrender around 7 p.m., Sallmann fired several shots at law enforcement throughout the day. One shot came close to hitting a Walworth County deputy, Graves said. No one was injured.

Sallman currently is in a mental facility undergoing an evaluation.

For more, read today's Walworth County Gazette, online in the Gazette e-edition HERE, or check WalworthCountyToday.com after 4 p.m. for the latest details.