INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (October 11, 2015) – When Karen Dolley woke up and found an intruder standing in the hallway of her Indianapolis home early Friday morning, she knew she had to do whatever it took to protect herself.
“I could see the guy standing right about here and I just came out of the bathroom and started punching get out, get out, get out,” says Dolley.
The 43-year-old woman who is trained in medieval combat jumped out of bed, flicked on the lights, and punched the man in the face at least ten times.
“He was trying to deflect my punches with his hands,” says Dolley.
Then, she grabbed her large Japanese combat sword.
“It is 440C stainless steel, it has an edge and it will cut,” says Dolley.
She held the blade to the intruder until police arrived.
“I just held the knife down on him like this while he was on the floor, and I was calling 911 with the other hand,” says Dolley.
When police arrived they took the intruder, Jacob Wessel, 30, of Greenwood, into custody, and they transported him to the hospital to be checked out. Police then arrested him and charged him with residential entry.
“He was so out of it, says Dolley.
Police say Wessel was high on an unknown substance when he broke in, and repeatedly told officers he was hiding from someone. But he had no idea his hiding place would have a woman with a Japanese sword.
“I would have swung the sword at him or I would have stabbed him,” says Dolley.
Wessel didn’t put up a fight, and he even apologized on the way out.
“If he would have behaved in a slightly different manner he would not have gotten out of here alive,” says Dolley.
