Lake St. Croix Beach Man Allegedly Threatened Woman With Hammer

A St. Croix Beach man allegedly tackled a woman and was about to hit her with a hammer before she escaped and fled from a Woodbury home, yelling “help me” before police arrived.

That’s according to the criminal complaint filed against Eugene Marshall Bullis, 27, who now faces a felony assault charge and a felony count of making terroristic threats.

Woodbury police were called to the 6000 block of Thames Road just before 11 p.m. Dec. 6 after a neighbor heard a woman yelling “help me” six or seven times, the complaint says.

Officers arrived and found a woman inside a car and a man who was standing at the driver-side door and pounding on the window. When police got closer, they heard the woman yelling for help.

The man, identified as Bullis, told police he had a knife in his possession, but he did not heed officers’ warnings to keep his hands away from his pockets. He was cuffed and police found a folding knife in his pocket, according to the complaint.

The alleged victim told police Bullis was helping her move. They were not romantically involved, only friends, she told officers.

She told police he had taken a nap during the move, but woke up and started swearing at her and shoved her to the ground, according to the complaint.

The woman got up, but Bullis tackled her and brandished a hammer, which he held above his head in a position to strike, the complaint says. She was able to get a hold of the hammer and struggled to escape.

She went to use her cell phone to call police, but Bullis took it from her and she fled the home, according to the complaint.

She told police she was afraid he was going to kill her, the complaint says.

Police found the hammer near the door of the home and her cell phone in his possession.

If convicted on both counts, Bullis faces up to 12 years in prison and $24,000 in fines.