A man from Wisconsin, facing allegations of strangling his partner, claims that he was actually the victim in the situation.

Rudolf Knapp, aged 59, was apprehended and is currently held at the Outagamie County Jail. His arrest on Sunday led to charges of attempted first-degree intentional homicide, strangulation, battery, and disorderly conduct. The incident unfolded in Little Chute, Wisconsin, around 11:45 p.m., prompting officers to respond to a disturbance call, as detailed in a post by the Fox Valley Metro Police Department on Facebook.

The incident was reported by the woman’s son, who contacted dispatchers and described hearing his mother “screaming for help.” The boy mentioned that an “unknown male” was choking his mother. Police noted that the call suddenly went silent, with only background screams audible.

Upon arrival, officers found the woman holding frozen food against her right eye, with visible signs of injury including a bloody mouth and red marks on her neck. She hesitated to discuss the incident in her son’s presence but later sought medical attention with a friend’s help. She expressed to the police her desire for Knapp’s arrest to ensure her safety.

At the hospital, the woman recounted that the altercation began while she and Knapp were in bed, eating gelato, when an argument erupted. Knapp allegedly pinned her down and began choking her, causing her to lose consciousness intermittently.

She confided in the police, fearing for her life during the ordeal.

Officers spoke to the woman’s son, who told them that he heard a commotion from his mother’s bedroom and then heard her screaming. He then saw a man he did not know, later identified as Knapp, on top of her. He started yelling at Knapp, asking him what he was doing in the house and who he was. Knapp was reportedly getting his coat on before fleeing the scene in his Mercedes Benz.

Police said the woman has since been released from the hospital, and she let investigators look at her phone. According to the complaint, Knapp sent her a number of texts that she did not respond to. One of them 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,” and “Thank you for one last good day.” Knapp allegedly made several threats to take his own life.

According to the complaint, police spoke with one of Knapp’s friends, who said that he allegedly confessed to the assault and made suicidal comments. Police went to Knapp’s home, but he refused to answer the door. On Monday, Knapp showed up at the Outagamie Sheriff’s Office to report that he had been “drugged and assaulted.”

When police questioned Knapp, he told them he acted in self-defense, telling officers, “I just wanted her to stop hurting me. I was just so tired of being hurt by everybody.” According to the complaint, he told the police that the woman gave him hydroxyzine to help with his anxiety after they attended church on Easter. When they went to bed that night, Knapp said the woman allegedly started “swinging” a box cutter or razor blade at him while screaming about the custody of her children.

Knapp allegedly told police that he “had no other option” than to strangle the woman because she was “going to kill him.” He also claimed that the woman put Xanax in a soda she gave him.

Police questioned Knapp about the cuts that were on his body, telling him they were not consistent with the struggle he or the woman described. He then reportedly told police he had mental health issues, saying, “I am a monster. I’ve never been a bad person,” when asked why he allegedly reacted the way he did. He also admitted that the cuts on his body were self-inflicted.

Knapp is currently in custody at the Outagamie County Jail, where he is being held on $500,000 cash bond. He appeared in court on Tuesday, and his next appearance has not yet been scheduled.