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Police: Man high on bath salts screamed about eating faces

LILBURN, Ga. — Gwinnett police say a man they were trying to arrest had super-human strength and admitted being high on bath salts.

Police told Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh they were called to a Lilburn driving range after receiving a call about a hysterical man.

Workers said Karl Laventure, 21, Alpharetta got a hold of a club and was running all around the range.

Police video of the arrest shows several officers holding the man on the ground as he threatened to eat them.

An officer said they shot the video to show how many men it took to keep him down.

"He came running at us out of the woodline," Officer Ross Hancock of the Gwinnett County Police Department told Kavanaugh.

Hancock was the first to arrive at the Atlanta Golf Center on Beaver Ruin Road in Lilburn on June 14.

He said Laventure was running all around the range, through a nearby pond, half naked, out of his mind.

Hancock said his partner first pulled his pepper spray.

"He didn't even wipe his eyes, he just kept them open," Hancock said.

That's when he said he pulled his Taser. He says Laventure went down, but got right back up again.

"We had to Tase him approximately five more times on scene to get him down. It took several officers to hold him down to get him cuffed," Hancock said.

"I'm'a eat you. Four Four. Oh God. Don't make me eat you," Laventure screamed on the video.

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(Warning, some people may find video disturbing)

"He was still talking gibberish, still cussing, still saying he wanted to eat us, eat other people," Hancock said.

"He evoked the words Tupac and Biggie, amongst others. Just crazy random things," Sgt. Rich Long of the Gwinnett County police said.

Long said the officers held him down while waiting for an ambulance, but once they were at the hospital it started up again.

"He jumped on the floor, he caused the nurse to jump up on the chair. Several of the hospital security guards came in along with our other officers in the room," Hancock said.

Police say they shot Laventure with the Taser a total of 14 times. He was charged with misdemeanor offenses of disorderly conduct and obstruction.

"I've never had to encounter somebody who acted like this before, so there's no telling what they may do when they are high on this drug," Hancock said.

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