Man accused of shooting Fayette County deputy in face sentenced to life in prison
FAYETTE COUNTY, Texas - A man accused of shooting a Fayette County deputy in the face and permanently blinding him in 2018 has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Shazizz Mateen was found guilty of aggravated assault on a public servant for shooting Deputy Calvin "CJ" Lehmann and in addition to life in prison, has been ordered to pay a $10,000 fine, according to the Fayette County Sheriff's Office.
"While this verdict can in no way heal the wounds of Deputy Lehmann or restore to him his sight and the life he was able to live previously, it is our sincerest hope that the closure of this case brings some sense of solace, relief, and peace to Deputy Lehmann and his family, our family," said FCSO in a statement.
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In 2018, a La Grange police officer attempted to arrest Mateen for failing to register as a sex offender. According to LGPD at the time, Mateen pulled a knife on the officer, who used their Taser on him which was ineffective. Mateen then tried to stab the officer, who deflected the knife with his hand and was cut.
CJ Lehmann (Fayette County Sheriff's Office)
Mateen then fled to a nearby motel where he was staying and barricaded himself in. FCSO deputies and LGPD officers attempted to apprehend him and Lehmann volunteered to take the lead in breaking through the door as he was wearing a ballistic vest and none of the other officers on scene had body armor at the time.
When he did that, he was shot in the face with a shotgun. Lehmann was then taken to an Austin hospital in critical condition. Lehmann lost his left eye and the right eye was severely damaged.