A Wisconsin man accused of choking his girlfriend during a violent late-night confrontation told investigators he was acting in self-defense and claimed she was the one hurting him.
Rudolf Knapp, 59, is being held at the Outagamie County Jail after his arrest on Sunday. He faces charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, strangulation, battery and disorderly conduct following an incident reported in Little Chute, Wisconsin.
Police said officers were called to a home around 11:45 p.m. after a young boy phoned 911 to report a disturbance involving his mother.
According to the Fox Valley Metro Police Department, the child told dispatchers his mother was “screaming for help.” He also reported that an “unknown male” was choking her. Dispatchers later noted the boy stopped responding to questions as “a lot of screaming in the background” continued.
When officers arrived, they found the woman holding a bag of frozen food against her eye. Authorities said she had a bloody mouth and visible “red marks” on her neck. The woman told officers she did not want to discuss the incident in front of her son. Although she initially declined medical treatment, a friend later took her to the hospital.
The woman reportedly told officers she wanted Knapp arrested so she could “feel safe.” While receiving treatment, she described the events that led up to the alleged attack. She told police she was eating gelato in bed with Knapp when an argument broke out.
According to the complaint, Knapp climbed on top of her, placed his hands around her neck and began choking her. Police said she could not breathe or speak and drifted “in and out of consciousness.” The woman told investigators she “thought she was going to die.”
Her son later told officers he heard the argument and ran to the bedroom, where he saw a man he did not recognize on top of his mother. He shouted at the man, later identified as Knapp, asking what he was doing in the house. Knapp allegedly fled the scene in a Mercedes-Benz.
Investigators later reviewed text messages Knapp allegedly sent to the woman. One message read, “I have no idea how I lost control the way I did tonight. I am evil and sick. There is no question in my mind of what I have to do now,” followed by another message saying, “Thank you for one last good day.”
Knapp later appeared at the Outagamie County Sheriff’s Office claiming he had been “drugged and assaulted.” During questioning, he told officers, “I just wanted her to stop hurting me. I was just so tired of being hurt by everybody.” He also told police, “I am a monster. I’ve never been a bad person,” while discussing the alleged incident.
Authorities say Knapp admitted some cuts on his body were self-inflicted. He is currently being held on a $500,000 cash bond and appeared in court Tuesday. A date for his next hearing has not yet been scheduled.
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