19-03-2025
Amherst shooting and arrest preceded by fight between two men, according to complaint
STEVENS POINT − A fight that led to one man getting shot and another arrested Sunday in Amherst started with a hug, according to court documents.
Justin J. Wojtalewicz, 42, of Amherst, was charged Tuesday with attempted first-degree intentional homicide, aggravated battery with intent to cause great bodily harm, firearm possession by a convicted felon and three counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.
According to the criminal complaint, on Sunday, Portage County deputies responded to a report of a shooting at a home in the 300 block of Mill Street in the village of Amherst. When they arrived at the scene, deputies found a man with a gunshot wound in the leg, who repeatedly said, "I'm dying, I'm dying. I can't breathe."
Witnesses told deputies Wojtalewicz had been in the kitchen of the home with a woman and two men when the shooting victim walked in and gave Wojtalewicz a hug, according to the complaint. Wojtalewicz had undergone recent shoulder surgery, and the hug caused him pain.
Wojtalewicz "freaked out," turned around and punched the victim in the face, according to the three witnesses. They got into a brief fight and the victim began walking toward the stairs that led to a second floor, according to the complaint. Wojtalewicz told the victim, "Oh, I'm going to shoot you," according to the complaint.
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The two men began fighting at the bottom of the stairs and the witnesses said the victim got the best of Wojtalewicz. The witnesses pulled the victim off Wojtalewicz, and Wojtalewicz went upstairs to get a gun, according to the complaint.
Wojtalewicz came out of an upstairs bedroom with a rifle, according to the complaint. He couldn't find the victim, who had also gone upstairs to a bedroom. Wojtalewicz went outside and looked into the victim's car.
The woman went outside to try to stop Wojtalewicz.
The victim came downstairs and stepped out onto the porch, and Wojtalewicz shot him, according to the complaint. One of the witnesses then took the rifle away from Wojtalewicz.
A helicopter took the victim to Wausau for medical treatment. Medical staff told officers the man's injuries were life-threatening and he could lose his leg, according to the complaint.
Wojtalewicz's next court appearance is scheduled for April 28. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 152⅟₂ years in prison.
Contact Karen Madden at kmadden@ Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at
This article originally appeared on Stevens Point Journal: Complaint details what led to Sunday shooting and arrest in Amherst
