Man High on Bath Salts Threatens to Eat Other People

A man high on what is suspected to be "bath salts" was tasered 14 times, threatened to eat people's faces and exhibited superhuman strength in a June 14th incident at the Atlanta Golf Center in unincorporated Norcross.

Officers who were first on the scene at the 1100 Beaver Ruin Road establishment around 10:30 a.m. said Alpharetta resident Karl Laventure came running at them out of the woodline "in a full sprint," according to police reports obtained by Patch. Authorities had received a call about a male who had exhibited odd behavior.

Laventure, who admitted being high on bath salts and marijuana, was half-naked and barefoot while waving a golf club and running around the range and into a pond.

"He seemed to be moving effortlessly and like an athlete at the top of his game," wrote one officer in the police report.

The suspect also threatened to eat their faces, repeating the phrase "eat you, eat you" in between expletives.

To stop him, officers deployed at least half a can of pepper spray, but he only flinched slightly. One officer noted that he had a look in his eyes that made him believe he wasn't cognizant of his surroundings.

Laventure was then tasered, but that didn't work at first, either.

"With every cycle of the taser, which I could hear audibly, the subject seemed to develop an immunity or endurance to the taser's effects," says one officer in the report.

On the third taser attempt, the suspect began doing handstands. Ripping the leads out of the taser, he was able to sprint away with the probes still attached to him.

After deploying the taser six times, officers still needed to hold Laventure down while they waited for an ambulance.

He went into "tirades and rants, screaming and growling in violent repetitive spurts that seemed to be endless about Tupac and Biggie Smalls, then changing into the Avengers and God vs. the devil," according to one police report.

On the way to the hospital, the suspect was given a dose of medicine that calmed him, and he was able to speak clearly to one of the officers. He apologized for the way he acted and admitted to being high. He also seemed to be in a humorous state of mind, says one report.

He started acting erratically again when he got to the hospital, where he was tasered more, totaling 14 times. A different sedative was given to him, and it made him sleep.

Laventure was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction.  Gwinnett police filmed the incident to show others the superhuman strength exhibited while high on bath salts.

Incidents with bath salts are becoming more common. It is a synthetic, stimulant powder containing amphetamine-like chemicals.

Last year, Georgia Legislators passed a bill banning bath salts which had been available in many gas stations, smoke shops and adult novelty stores. When used, it results in a high similar to speed, but creates side effects including extreme paranoia, hallucinations, increased heart rate and blood pressure and death.

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