Body camera footage shows man attack Middletown officer with a hammer

At about 6:30 a.m. a caller to the Middletown Police Department requested assistance at 195 Liberty Street.3 The resident told police someone was screaming loudly and smashing glass in the driveway. Three officers initially responded to the scene, Detective Travis arriving first. She parked her police vehicle at the intersection of Park Place and Liberty Street and walked west toward 195 Liberty. She was dressed in a police uniform because she was working a patrol shift that morning. She saw a black male, later identified as Tate, sitting on the porch. As she approached the residence, Tate stood up and began walking towards her quickly. He began swinging a hammer up and down in his right hand. She told Tate several times to, “put that down, please.” He kept walking towards her with the hammer and did not drop it. She called for backup on her police radio. As soon as she did this, Tate charged at her quickly yelling incoherently. Detective Travis backpedaled and shouted, “Stop! Stop!” She fell to the ground as he reached her, striking her with the hammer. She managed to fire several shots from her duty pistol. Tate, injured, retreated to the house as another officer arrived at the scene. Detective Travis told the other officer that she thought she shot her hand. A fellow officer drove Detective Travis to the hospital. Other responding Middletown officers noticed a blood trail from the location of the shooting back to the house. They called for Tate to come out of the house, but no one came out. Suspecting Tate might be injured, officers entered the house. They noticed blood in several rooms. When they entered the basement, Tate fled out a basement door and was detained by other officers, who provided medical attention. Tate was transported to Hartford Hospital where he was treated for gunshot wounds to the shoulder, hand, and elbow.

Detective Travis agreed to allow investigators to review her medical records. She was taken to Middlesex Hospital for treatment. Records reveal she was diagnosed with a concussion and a gunshot wound to her left hand.