Casper police arrested a 32-year-old man after they caught him choking his former girlfriend in a downtown apartment Tuesday night.

The District Attorney's Office charged Kevin Clark with aggravated assault, aggravated burglary, kidnapping, interference with a 911 call and property damage, police Sgt. Brad Wnuk said Wednesday.

However, police and the District Attorney dropped an initial charge of attempted first-degree murder, Wnuk said.

Officers had responded to two calls to the Albuquerque Apartments, 139 N. Grant St., earlier Tuesday evening before responding to the call at 11 p.m., he said.

Officers went to the apartments and initially did not see anything, but as they walked around they saw Clark choking the victim in her apartment, he said.

They entered the apartment and pulled him away from the victim, a woman in her late 30s, Wnuk said.

The woman, whom Wnuk would not name, had recently broken off a relationship with Clark, he said.

That evening, he disconnected the telephone line, broke into the woman's apartment and physically attacked her, Wnuk said. He did not sexually attack her, he added.

She was able to break free, run outside and call for help, but Clark ran outside and dragged her back to the apartment, he said.

At one time during the struggle, Clark held a knife to her throat, Wnuk said.

After officers separated him and the victim, they put him in a patrol car and he kicked out a window, he said.

The woman was treated for her unidentified injuries at the Wyoming Medical Center and released, Wnuk said.

No children were involved in the incident, and Wnuk did not know if drug use was involved, he said.

Wednesday, Clark did not make an initial appearance in Natrona County Circuit Court for a variety of unnamed reasons, Natrona County Circuit Court Judge Michael Patchen said.

He probably will appear today for his initial appearance to hear the charges against him and to have his bond set.

He probably will have his preliminary hearing in Circuit Court within two weeks when the state will present evidence that a crime has been committed and that Clark committed it. If the judge agrees, the case will be bound over to 7th District Court for trial.

Reporter Tom Morton can be reached at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@casperstartribune.net.