Ben Ball, 36, of Oshtemo Township, MI was at home in his apartment at 11:30 pm last Wednesday night playing video games when he heard knocking on his door. Ball recognized the knocker as Alex Lavell Rawls who is the ex-boyfriend of his roommate, who was out of town at the time. The knocking continued until finally, Rawls kicked the door in.

According to Rochester First, the local newspaper, Ball collects replicas of weaponry used by the Vikings and the Barbarian warriors. He often “participates in events where people compete in ritualized combat.”

Ball later told police he had reason to believe Rawls might be armed. So, he explained, “The door opened, I grabbed the axe, then step, step, hit.” He struck Rawls in the torso with the axe, then he said the two began “grappling in the apartment destroying the place. There was blood all over the place.”

At a certain point, Rawls fled the scene.

The police arrived with several K-9s who simply “followed the trail of blood” which led them directly to Rawls.

Rawls was hospitalized briefly before being transferred to the Kalamazoo County Jail. He is facing a first-degree home invasion charge which carries a maximum prison sentence of “20 years. Court records show he was discharged from the Michigan Department of Corrections in July. His criminal record includes assaulting and disarming a police officer and fleeing and eluding police.”

Ball told the newspaper, “I’ve got a double-headed carbon steel battle axe that was homemade by a gentleman who has since passed. That’s what I call my baby.” He added that he was glad he’d “spent a lot of time practicing with that axe.”

Just like our friend the Portland professor who picked on the friend, then bitten the breast of MMA World Champion Tara LaRosa at the Veterans’ Day flag waving rally on Sunday, Rawls probably wishes he didn’t kick in the door of a guy who collects and practices with weapons the Barbarians used to favor.

Watch the video.