DA reveals new details in shooting death of Lebanon Police Lt. William Lebo

On March 31, Lt. William Lebo and three other officers responded to a burglary in the 1100 block of Forest Street. A man told them that his stepson, Travis Shaud, 34, had broken into his home, smashing a rear widow to gain access.

The man had returned to his home that day after work and recognized Shaud's vehicle parked at the house. As Lebo and officials arrived, they met with family members to develop an understanding of the home's interior.

Officers developed an entry plan and even sketched out a layout of the home. The stepfather approached the home with police and retrieved his dog.

Then Lebo, carrying a police shield and identifying himself as law enforcement, asked Shaud to come to the back kitchen door and speak with police.

Moments later, a shootout left Lebo and Shaud dead and two officers wounded.

Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf shared details of the shooting for the first time at news conference Thursday morning. Also Thursday, details about funeral services for Lebo at the Giant Center near Hershey were made public.

"The term heroic fails to adequately describe the efforts of every police officer that day," Graf said, flanked by various members of Lebanon County law enforcement agencies, Police Chief Todd Breiner, and Mayor Sherry Capello. "Lt. Lebo selflessly laid down his life for the lives of his brothers."

Lebo, 63, had more than 40 years of service and was 30 days from retirement.

"The initial call was not to arrest, it was not to submit, it was not anything other than 'please come out and talk with us,'" Graf said.

Lt. William Lebo:Lt. William Lebo, Lebanon City officer killed in shooting, was a month from retirement

Shaud approached police as they entered the house. He concealed his hands and refused police commands to show his hands, according to Graf. Then the 43-year-old grabbed a loaded weapon and fired three rounds, hitting Lebo and Officer Derek Underkoffler.

Shaud shot Lebo twice at close range, and each round was considered fatal.

"Neither man was able to defend himself, (and) neither man was able to fire on the suspect," Graf said.

Shaud continued to fire at police. Graf said Officers Kris McCarrick and Officer Ryan Adams fired at Shaud and "neutralized the threat."

"Officer McCarrick carried Officer Underkoffler to safety, he secured the scene, (and) he then went back and attempted to save Lt. Lebo," Graf said. "He remained with his lieutenant until additional help arrived."

Seven-year veteran officers Adams and Underkoffler were also injured and underwent emergency surgery. Underkoffler remained hospitalized and in stable condition Thursday. Adams has been released from the hospital and is focused on his recovery, Graf said.

"Every day we expect our police officers to suit up, patrol our streets and keep us safe," she said. "And every day, on every call and every scene they respond to, our police officers take that ultimate risk, and they do that for each of us."

Graf added that Lebanon law enforcement is now serving the community with heavy hearts because "they miss their brother."

Travis Shaud had history of mental illness, violence

Shaud suffered from years of mental health issues and resisted attempts by family to intervene. Graf said Shaud was on parole for assault on the day of the attack, and was known by Lebanon police.

"The family members after the incident had described to us that he had a years long history with the mental health system," she said. "He was resistant to medication, he was resistant to all treatment, and any time family tried to intervene on his behalf he refused."

A mental health counselor was not present on the scene. Graf said that in this instance it would not have been appropriate to have one.

Lebanon city has seen only two other officer deaths in the line of duty - Chief Aaron McCord in 1890 and Patrolman Cyrus Shaeffer in 1903, according to Capello.

Funeral service plans for Lt. William Lebo

A celebration of life service for Lebo will will be held Friday, April 8 starting at 11 a.m. Giant Center. Prior to the service there will be a procession from the Christman's Funeral Home in Lebanon to the Hershey sports complex, traveling mostly on Route 422.

Instead of flowers, the Lebo family is asking for donations to be made to the Elks Foundation, at 2750 N. Lakeview Ave., Chicago, IL 60614, or Concerns of Police Survivors, also known as C.O.P.S., at 59 Ruppert Road, East Berlin, PA 17316.

Officers and officials have nothing but "gratitude" for the community support since this latest shooting has occurred, according to Graf. Citing a procession on Saturday accompanying Lebo's body from the medical examiner's office in Allentown to a funeral home in Lebanon, Graf said officers have noticed the community's support for their fallen brother.

"Behind every one of your police officers, behind everyone who wears a badge, is a person," she said.

Lebo was born in Italy but spent most of his life in Lebanon County, according to his obituary. He got married in 2009 and spent the last 14 years "traveling, golfing and holding every minute of life precious."

"He and his family will never experience the joys of retirement, or the peace of life post-law enforcement," Graf said.

In a post on Facebook, Lebo's wife, Lora, offered compassion for Shaud, saying forgiveness, compassion and understanding are values that were important to her husband.

"I am choosing to forgive the perpetrator in this incident and offering my condolences to his family," she said. "I ask that the community do the same. They didn’t ask for this incident any more than I did."

Graf said that Lebo's wife has shown to be "a woman of the highest caliber," and joined in her call asking for a celebration of Lebo's life rather than focus on the tragedy of March 31.

"In the midst of her grief, at a time where she should understandably be angry, Lora chose love," Graf said.

Lt. William Lebo:Wife of Lt. William Lebo offers compassion to shooter as celebration of life is planned

Matthew Toth is a reporter for the Lebanon Daily News. Reach him at mtoth@ldnews.com or on Twitter at @DAMattToth.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Shooting death of Lebanon Police Lt. Lebo: DA reveals new details