Milwaukee fatal stabbing; Abraham Tate pleads no contest

MILWAUKEE - 68-year-old Abraham Tate pleaded no contest on Monday, July 24 to a charge of homicide by negligent handling of a dangerous weapon – in connection with a fatal stabbing that happened in September 2021. 

Tate is scheduled for sentencing on Aug. 22. 

Case details

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to the neighborhood near 76th and Nash in Milwaukee around 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 6, 2021, for a shooting complaint. Officers found a man on the sidewalk unresponsive. They and Milwaukee firefighters provided medical attention to the man, but he died a short time later.

An autopsy was performed on the victim the next day -- and the medical examiner's office reports the man died from a stab wound.

On Sept. 7, police interviewed Abraham Tate regarding this death investigation. He initially told police the victim "picked up a folding chair and swung it at him," the complaint says. Tate told police he tackled the victim to the ground. He said he "started to get up, and he then saw that (the victim) was bleeding. He then released that (the victim) had a knife."

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When confronted with the results of the autopsy in the case, the complaint says Tate said he "also had a knife, and it is possible that he stabbed (the victim)."

Tate was interviewed by police a second time, the complaint says. Tate said the victim had rung his doorbell, asking if he could run an extension cord from his apartment. Tate shut the door on the victim, the complaint says. Later, when Tate was outside, he confronted the victim about ringing his doorbell. An argument flared up, the complaint says -- and Tate said (the victim) "threw a chair at him." At some point during the scuffle, the complaint indicates (the victim) "was going to hit (Tate) again when he stabbed (the victim.)"

The complaint also says the knife Tate had was about 6-8 inches long.