An axe-wielding attack could have ended in tragedy, but the victim’s training and preparedness turned the tide. The intended target was a legally armed retired police officer and this is his story.
Arrival at the boathouse
On October 6, 2024, retired officer Rob Abraham parked his truck at his boathouse on the Black River in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The area is a scenic, historically protected region where a limited number of boathouses are permanently maintained by their owners. Owning one of these 78 boathouses in Wisconsin is as coveted as holding Packer season tickets.
Abraham had been informed the night before that an “unsheltered” encampment had sprung up next to his boathouse. He notified the police, who went to the scene and ordered the individuals to leave, as camping was not allowed there.
As Abraham exited his truck, he saw a tarp hanging loosely from a rope tied to two trees next to his boathouse’s boardwalk. The camp appeared abandoned, with blankets and loose items scattered across the ground.
Abraham later said, “I thought I had another mess to clean up, so I walked over to check it out.”
The attack
While Abraham was inspecting the blankets, a bearded “unsheltered” man suddenly burst out from under them, yelling repeatedly, “You assaulted me! You assaulted me! You assaulted me!”
Abraham stepped back and tried to explain to the man that he had not assaulted him and hadn’t even known he was there. He added that the man needed to leave, as the police had instructed the night before.
The man angrily shouted that the police had never been there and insisted he was legally camped outside the city limits.
Abraham told the man, “I am calling the police in an hour if you are not gone,” and began to disengage.
The man then produced a hatchet with a 16-inch handle, holding it high above his shoulder with the blade directed at Abraham. Advancing toward him, the man shouted threats.
In response to this imminent threat, Abraham drew his concealed Glock 43 and shouted, “Stop or I will shoot you!”
The man shouted back, still holding the axe high, “Go ahead! Shoot me! Shoot me!”
At that moment, two of the man’s allies appeared: a woman climbed out of a nearby truck, and another man, carrying a menacing military-style shovel, emerged from a wooded area. Both began shouting at Abraham, creating a chaotic scene.
Abraham realized he might have to shoot the man, who continued to advance with the hatchet. He made one more verbal attempt to stop the attacker, shouting, “Take one more step and I will kill you!” At the same time, he realigned his aim from upper center mass to a potential headshot and moved his finger to the trigger.
The hatchet-wielding man stopped in his tracks, about 12 feet away, and turned to chop the bark off a nearby tree, as if that had been his intention all along.
Police called and arrest made
Using this brief de-escalation, Abraham backed away to his truck and called 911. Initially, he couldn’t hear the dispatcher. He disconnected, realized the problem was his phone’s Bluetooth connection to his truck and quickly reconnected to summon officers to the scene.
The three individuals continued yelling and threatening Abraham. At one point, the hatchet-wielding man, now unarmed, approached Abraham’s truck with clenched fists, but they all kept their distance.
Three minutes later, officers arrived on the scene.
Police investigated and arrested the hatchet-wielding man, who turned out to be a repeat-offending registered sex offender out on bond for pending crimes. Abraham reported that the man was charged with reckless use of a weapon but was once again released on his own recognizance.
Learning points
Abraham was a police officer for 30 years, serving as a field training officer, firearms instructor, defense and arrest tactics instructor, SWAT officer and police counter-sniper. Reflecting on the incident, he said, “We had to point our weapons at many people, but I think this was the closest I ever came to having to shoot someone.”
Here are some key learning points from this incident:
- Train for all stages of your career: Abraham credited his agency’s training during his career and emphasized the importance of continued training after retirement. Since choosing to carry a Glock 43 with an empty chamber in an appendix-style holster, he practiced extensively to master his weapon and draw technique, visiting the range monthly and practicing the “Israeli Draw.”
- Get insurance: Abraham strongly recommended that retired officers carrying firearms obtain insurance. He uses insurance provided through the Fraternal Order of Police.
- Prepare for verbalization and adaptation: Abraham practiced defensible verbal communication alongside his weapon training. When the attacker dared him to shoot, Abraham escalated his verbal commands, which ultimately stopped the threat without violence.
- Understand time and space distortions: Abraham initially thought the suspect had stayed 20 feet away but later realized the man had closed to within 12 feet.
- Know your technology: When Abraham initially called 911, his phone’s Bluetooth setting prevented him from hearing the dispatcher. Familiarity with communication technology is crucial in emergencies.
- Recognize response times: A three-minute police response time is excellent, but Abraham stressed that much can happen in three minutes if one is unprepared to defend oneself.
- Acknowledge potential dangers of the “unsheltered:” Abraham’s experience underscores the potential dangers associated with encounters involving unsheltered individuals.
- Be prepared in today’s environment: Abraham emphasized the need for vigilance and preparation in an era where dangerous criminals are often released repeatedly. Even in peaceful settings, self-defense readiness is essential.
Conclusion
No one was injured in this potentially deadly attack for one reason: the skill and preparedness of a retired police officer, which diminished a criminal’s intent to kill.
