Trigger Warning: This article contains references to suicide that some readers may find distressing.

A hug for a Wisconsin father became a gesture of betrayal after his 18-year-old son stabbed him in the neck and tried to chase him down to do it again.

The Racine Police Department said Joseph Niemiec, a resident of Pleasant Prairie, is charged with first-degree attempted homicide and use of a dangerous weapon, which is a Class B felony carrying up to 60 years in prison.

Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a stabbing incident at the 4200 block of 21st Street on August 12 at around 1 a.m. Upon arrival, first responders found Niemiec’s father with a stab wound in the neck. He was alert and pressing on his neck to control the bleeding. By then, Niemiec had already fled the scene.

The criminal complaint viewed by WITI said the father was “covered in blood and holding pressure on his neck.” The father told officers that Niemiec entered his Racine home through the back door. He had initially thought it might be an intruder but recognized his son’s voice. Niemiec asked his father if they could talk, and the two sat in the kitchen.

Niemiec allegedly told his father he was having a “rough go to life” and had tried to commit suicide a few times. He then excused himself and went to bathroom. Once returned, he asked his father for a hug. As the two embraced, Niemiec produced a knife and stabbed his father in the neck.

 

According to the affidavit, police said the victim said he “felt a punch to his throat and immediately placed his hand over it as he stumbled backwards.” Niemiec allegedly tried to chase his father a second time, but the father disarmed him and pushed him away. The father tossed the knife in a trash can and fled to a neighbor’s house to call 911.

Niemiec fled the scene in a Chevrolet Malibu and drove about 650 miles from Racine before being spotted by Nebraska State Patrol about 10 hours later. According to Law and Crime, a trooper located the vehicle on Interstate 80 near the Alda interchange and made a traffic stop at around 11.45 a.m.

Niemic was arrested on a Wisconsin warrant of $500,000 and taken to Hall County Jail in Nebraska, where his mugshot picture showed him smirking. The image has become central element, with widespread critcism on social media. Tracy Kiesler, a neighbor, told Fox6now, “So close to home, it makes you wonder what was going on that someone would do that.”

His extradition hearing is scheduled for September 15 in Nebraska.

Police say the father, who was treated at Froedtert Hospital, is expected to make a full recovery.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, or chat via 988lifeline.org.

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently confirm the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.