Earlier this month, a female officer with the Middletown, Connecticut Police Department was attacked by a man wielding a hammer, the New York Post reported.
According to the Middletown Police, on Saturday, August 12, Detective Karli Travis was the first officer on the scene after police received a complaint about breaking glass and noise on a residential street. When she arrived at the scene, Travis approached Winston Tate, 52, and saw that he was wielding a hammer.
In body-cam footage released by the Connecticut Office of Inspector General, Travis is heard repeatedly instructing Tate to drop the hammer, but he refused.
When Travis radioed for backup, Tate can be seen on the footage charging at her with his hammer. Tate then tackles Travis to the ground and starts attacking her with the hammer.
According to Middletown Police Chief Eric McCallister, Detective Travis tried to distance herself from Tate while continuing to instruct him to drop the hammer. She then pulled out her service weapon and started firing at Tate as she was “fighting for her life.”
After she fired again, Tate retreated to his home. When backup arrived, the officers surrounded Tate’s home and he was arrested.
Tate was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated.
Detective Travis, who was injured in the hammer attack, was also transported to the hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released that evening.
Chief McCallister described Detective Travis’ actions as an “extreme act of heroism.”
Tate was charged with second-degree assault, assault on a police officer, attempted first-degree assault, and interfering with police. He is being held on a $500,000 bond and is expected to appear in court on October 3.
The Connecticut Office of Inspector General is investigating the shooting.
