Spencer Fredrickson
Pe ace, love, and unity, the three guiding principles of the Rainbow Family of Living Light didn’t seem to be so much on the mind of 20-year-old Spencer Fredrickson, who was attending a Rainbow gathering held in the Superior National Forest near Trout Lake last Sunday, August 26.
Fredrickson, of Northfield, Minnesota, was high on three different types of drugs when he assaulted a 40-year-old woman and bit off part of the finger of a man named “Satellite” who was attempting to stop the assault.
Fredrickson also attacked Cook County Sheriff ’s Deputy Andrew Hayes who, when he arrived on the scene, found Fredrickson secured by duct tape.
According to the law enforcement report, Fredrickson, whose advances were spurned by the woman who was trying to calm him down, grabbed the terrified woman who began screaming for help as Fredrickson tried to strangle her and pull her jaw apart.
A group of Rainbow attendees pulled Fredrickson off of the woman, noting that he had “superhuman” strength. It was during this scuffle that Fredrickson, high on LSD, LSA and Morning Glory Seeds, bit off part of Satellite’s finger. He was duct taped by the group until deputy Hayes arrived.
When Hayes tried to adjust the duct tape to prevent Fredrickson from cutting off his circulation, Fredrickson attacked him and broke the skin through Hayes’ gloves.
Both Hayes and Fredrickson were treated and released by North Shore Health.
Fredrickson was arrested and charged with 1st Degree Assault (strangulation, jaw pulling) and 4th Degree Assault on a Peace Officer. He was jailed on a $200,000 bond and went to court on Tuesday, August 28.
Appearing in Cook County District Sixth Judicial Court at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Fredrickson was ordered for evaluation of competency to proceed, and also ordered for evaluation of mental deficiency or illness. He is allowed no contact with the victim( s), and his bail stands at $200,000. There was also an order granting Fredrickson a public defender.
Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen said he didn’t know how many people attended the Rainbow gathering, nor when they first came, but, he added, “They should be dispersed by now.” He also said law enforcement did not have to respond to any other incidents “directly related to the Rainbow gathering.”
Kris Reichenbach, media contact person for the Superior National Forest in Duluth said she was told the Rainbow attendees came from Minnesota and Wisconsin and numbered about 50. “They are supposed to be packing up and leaving, cleaning up after themselves. Once they are gone we will send in a local crew and do an assessment to see if any damage was done.”
Rainbow gatherings
Cook County has been the site of at least two other Rainbow gatherings, one, in 1990 that brought as many as 10,000 folks to the county. A second, smaller gathering was held around 2000 at Paradise Beach where 50 to 100 (mostly naked) people assembled and camped in tents on the beach for several days after they were not allowed into Canada to attend a more massive gathering.
What is the Rainbow Family of Living Light?
Who really knows? According to Wikipedia, “The Rainbow Family of Living Light (commonly shortened to the Rainbow Family) is a counter culture, hippie group, in existence since approximately 1970. It is a loose affiliation of smaller groups and individuals, some nomadic, generally asserting that it has no leader.”
When they gather, it is generally to “emphasize a spiritual focus towards peace, love, and unity.”
A stated goal is to try to achieve peace and love on earth. They have groups in more than a dozen countries. In the U.S. they hold gatherings on federal land stating it is within their First Amendment rights to meet on the public’s property.
At a gathering, which can be as big as 30,000 people, Rainbow adherents call the camp Rainbowland and the world outside is referred to as Babylon. People are encouraged to barter at the camps rather than exchange money, although they pass a “magic hat” to collect funds to purchase essential items for the gathering.
Begun in Oregon in 1970, they say (whoever that would be) they are the largest non-organization in the world with the most non-members.
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