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Hallucinating Man Allegedly Bites, Gropes, Chokes Good Samaritans At Woodland Peace Celebration
A woman trying to console Spencer Fredrickson through his drug-induced freak-out was choked and fondled for her trouble, she told cops.
Talk about a bad trip.
A Minnesota man is accused of trying to bite off a part of a good Samaritan's finger and choking a woman who tried to console him during a drug-induced freak-out at an annual celebration of peace in the state's idyllic Superior National Forest.
Spencer Fredrickson was hit Tuesday with assault charges stemming from the Saturday night chaos at the Rainbow Gathering, a counterculture event intended to promote harmony and balance, according to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
Rainbow Gatherings, a series of festivals held in forests worldwide, originated with the Rainbow Family of Living Light, a group formed in the midst of the '70s hippie movement.
But the events often make headlines for less-than-peaceful reasons, including drug busts and violence.
The female victim recalled to police that Fredrickson, 20, was spotted rummaging through cars, causing a gathering attendee to scream out, according to the Duluth News Tribune.
Fredrickson ran off into the woods and began to cry, the witness told cops, so she tried to calm him by offering a hug.
Fredrickson repaid her kindness by groping her, she said.
When she told him to stop, he allegedly grabbed her by the throat and began to strangle her. He then grabbed the woman by her mouth and jaw and attempted to pull her face apart, police said.
The woman believed Fredrickson was trying to kill her, she told police.
A group nearby heard the woman's cries, and came to her rescue. Fredrickson responded to the intervention by sinking his teeth into a good Samaritan's hand and gnawing off a piece of his finger, according to police reports.
The group finally subdued Fredrickson, using duct tape to restrain him until police showed up.
When cops arrived, the Northfield resident's hallucinatory havoc continued, with Friedrickson allegedly digging his fingernails through a responding deputy's glove, breaking his skin.
Fredrickson reportedly denied hurting anyone, but told police he was under the influence of the drug LSA, a mind-bending substance with effects similar to LSD.
Fredrickson’s victims were treated for their injuries, police said.
Fredrickson is currently held on $200,000 bail and is due back in court on Nov. 13. He faces a up to 20 years behind bars if convicted.
[Photo: Cook County Sheriff's Office]
