On Wednesday, Racine Police Department officers responded to a rescue call in a unit at 4000 Maryland Avenue. Upon arrival they found a 60-year-old male lying against a wall. Rescue personnel reported that the man had a significant laceration to the back of his neck.
At the hospital, officers discovered that the victim has had a history of strokes and had been in a wheelchair when he was attacked. The man said a woman he identified at Carole Knudtson, 57, Racine, came to his apartment and had stabbed him with a knife the back of the neck. She lived in the same building.
The victim said he fell out of his wheelchair during the attack. A medical evaluation revealed three smaller stab wounds as well. The victim said he believed his attacker took the knife from his kitchen.
Prior to going to the hospital to speak with the victim, the RPD officers conducted a protective sweep of the victim’s apartment and found the suspect lying in a bed, facing away from the entrance. She reportedly ignored commands to show her hand. When one of the officers tried to pull back the blanket and place the suspect in an escort hold, she “rapidly turned over” toward the officer revealing that she was holding a kitchen knife. She lunged toward the officer.
Reports state the suspect was ordered to drop the knife, but she remained standing, holding the knife above her head while both officers remained in close proximity. Officers used a stun device to get the suspect to drop the weapon.
On Thursday, Knudtson was charged with Aggravated Battery of a Physically Disabled Person with a Dangerous Weapon. That offense can carry a $10,000 fine and up to six years in prison. Or both. Because the defendant used a deadly weapon, the prison time can be increased by up to five more years.