Police: Man arrested after ax attack on his girlfriend

A 35-year-old man was arrested after allegedly throwing an ax at his girlfriend and causing severe injuries early Monday morning.

Medical staff at a local hospital reported a woman was seeking treatment for being hit in the head with an ax and a Spokane police officer went to investigate.

The victim lost a significant amount of blood, had a large cut on her head and leg, a swollen eye and was still bleeding , according to a news release by the Spokane Police Department.

After speaking with the victim and a short investigation, Bradley W. Hudlow, 35, was arrested and charged with second-degree assault and felony harassment – threats to kill.

The victim told police that Hudlow was upset because he thought she had spent money from their finances. He allegedly threatened to destroy her property so the victim began gathering her belongings. Then Hudlow confronted her in the hallway and punched her in the face, police said.

As the woman tried to run away, she said Hudlow threw an ax at her, hitting her in the leg, officers said. She continued to try and flee but Hudlow caught up and hit her in the back of the head with the ax, police said.

She then ran to Hudlow’s mother’s room in the house where the mother convinced Hudlow to stop the assault, police said. Hudlow then threatened the victim and his mother that if they told anyone what happened he would “kill both of them,” police said.

A friend picked the woman up from their residence in the area of Helena Street and Pacific Avenue and took her to the hospital, where she at first hesitated to speak to police but eventually told them of the assault. Hudlow was arrested at the same residence where the assault occurred, and police said they also recovered an ax there matching the victim’s description of the weapon used to assault her.

Hudlow is being held in the Spokane County Jail.