Karl Laventure, who was reportedly high on the synthetic drug bath salts, ran around a Lilburn, Georgia golf course half-naked, swinging clubs and threatening guests, WSB-TV Atlanta reports.
Officers arrived at the Lilburn golf range after workers called about a “hysterical man.”
A police video was taken to show how many officers it took to control Laventure:
“He came running at us out of the woodline,” said Officer Ross Hancock of the Gwinnett County Police Department.
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 is when Hancock pulled his Taser and fired a shot into Laventure. He dropped to the ground but got back up and the officer shocked him five more times. Even then it took considerable man power to keep Laventure down.
“I’m’a eat you. Four Four. Oh God. Don’t make me eat you,” Laventure screamed on the video.
Officers thought the 21-year-old was calmed once he got into the ambulance, but Laventure started acting out again once he got to the hospital.
“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.
During the incident, police say that Laventure admitted that he smoked a joint laced with bath salts earlier in the day. Oddly enough, it was his birthday. Local officers said that they are seeing more cases of people abusing bath salts.
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