A female police officer in Connecticut was viciously assaulted by a man armed with a hammer, according to authorities. The incident occurred on a residential street in Middletown, where the officer responded to a complaint about noise and breaking glass. Detective Karli Travis, who serves in the patrol division and runs the Middletown Police Cadet Program, was the first to arrive at the scene. She encountered the suspect, 52-year-old Winston Tate, who was wielding a metal hammer. Despite her repeated pleas, Tate refused to drop the weapon, leading to a violent confrontation.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Eric McCallister of the Middletown Police Department commended Detective Travis for her composed approach. Body camera footage, released by the Connecticut Office of Inspector General, captured the officer calmly requesting Tate to put down the hammer. However, he defiantly refused, leading to a tense standoff. As Travis called for backup, Tate charged toward her and initiated a physical altercation. The footage shows the officer attempting to create distance while urging the suspect to drop the weapon. Eventually, Travis drew her handgun and fired multiple rounds at Tate in self-defense.
Travis, fighting for her life, continued to yell at Tate to stop as he relentlessly attacked her with the hammer. Despite sustaining injuries, she managed to fire additional shots, causing the suspect to retreat back into his residence. Backup officers swiftly arrived at the scene and surrounded the house, leading to Tate’s immediate arrest. Both Travis and Tate were taken to the hospital for treatment. While the detective was released later that evening with minor injuries, Tate’s injuries were not disclosed.
Chief McCallister hailed Travis’s actions as an “extreme act of heroism.” Tate now faces multiple charges, including criminal attempt to commit first-degree assault, second-degree assault, assault on public safety personnel, and interfering with police. He is being held on a $500,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on October 3. The inspector general’s office is conducting an ongoing investigation into the incident.