Sorry, but in this case he choked her and hit her head against a cement wall twice. Not to mention the bruises that he left her with from past incidents. So no, this is not about “relationships” or “you never know who sets who off.” This is an angry man who cannot control himself and beats up on women. So yes this is clearly about the woman.
What provoked this incident was her refusal to set her dog loose in an alley. Can you imagine his reaction when he is presented with real world adult family problems? He needs help.