Iowa City Police: Man Said He Was Compelled to Abuse Wife After Smoking 'Wacky Weed'

An Iowa City man is facing domestic abuse charges spurred on by smoking what he told officers was synthetic marijuana.

According to an Iowa City Police complaint, at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday evening police officers responded to an address at 1700 block Prairie Du Chien Road for the report of a domestic assault.

Once there the officers spoke with the female victim of the assault, the wife of Russell Wade Richardson, 48. The woman said that he had became agitated at her for "seeing a man named 'Nick' who she does not know." He then allegedly pinned her to the ground by her neck and began to hit her, threatening to get a gun.

Richardson told officers that he had been smoking "wacky weed" prior to the assault, which he believed to be synthetic marijuana. He said he couldn't remember much about the assault except "that he was being very violent toward the victim and others because of the drug he smoked." The couple have been married for twenty years, according to the complaint.

The woman complained of stiff neck pain and pain from striking back to defend herself. She said at one point she had a hard time breathing after the attack, according to the complaint.

Richardson was charged with domestic abuse assault without intent causing injury for the incident. He currently is in the Johnson County Jail on $2,500 bail.