The Chatham County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Pittsboro man after a domestic violence incident involving his wife and son led to an armed standoff with police.
The July 17 incident began when a woman called 911 from 795 Cedar Grove Road in Pittsboro, claiming her husband, Michael Levandoski Jr., had assaulted and then threatened to kill her. When deputies arrived on scene they managed to safely remove the caller, but Levandoski remained in the home with their 4-year-old son.
Officers worked to convince him to leave the house and surrender before hearing multiple gunshots from inside. Levandoski then exited and was taken into custody before being delivered to UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill for a mental health evaluation. His wife and son were also transported to the hospital for a medical evaluation. The sheriff’s office confirmed neither were shot by Levandoski.
Upon entering the home, officers located a dead dog with multiple gunshot wounds, as well as a Smith & Wesson revolver and spent shell casings.
Levandoski was ultimately arrested and charged with eight felonies and three misdemeanors. He faces two counts of felony assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, one count of felony second degree kidnapping, one count of felony cruelty to animals, one count of felony discharging a weapon into an occupied dwelling, two counts of felony assault by strangulation, one count of felony negligent child abuse inflicting serious physical injury, one count of misdemeanor communicating threats, one count of misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, and one count of misdemeanor assault on a female.
In 2022, Levandoski wrote a piece titled “I Lied to My Wife” for the website “bizcatalyst360.com,” detailing his experiences on the day he took his then-pregnant wife to the hospital for life-threatening preeclampsia. In it, he referenced the fact that he had been dealing with PTSD as a result of his time in the military.
“I’m lucky in so many ways,” he wrote. “I’m most lucky that I have a son and a wife right now. I’m also lucky to have great friends. As soon as some of my military friends heard about the situation, they reached out immediately. They knew I had PTSD, I did too, and they were not happy to help, they were insistent about helping. I didn’t have a choice. I had a lunch scheduled with a local friend to talk about PTSD and another in a different state who checked up on me regularly. I had no say in the matter, which was actually a relief.”
He was given a $50,000 bond on applicable charges and was given no bond for additional charges. He will appear before the Chatham County District Court in Pittsboro on Aug. 3, 2026.
Editor’s Note: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Helpline at 800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788.
Featured image via Henry Taylor/Chapel Hill Media Group
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
