WACO — Michael Terron Daniel, 22, of Waco, was in custody Monday charged with cruelty to a non-livestock animal in a bizarre incident on June 14 when a man who claimed to be on the synthetic drug K-2 chased a neighbor while barking a growling like a dog and then attacked a family dog, which he beat, strangled and then started to eat. Daniel was arrested Monday at his workplace without incident, police said. The arrest stems from an incident on June 14 at 4601 Athens in Waco where officers were sent after a caller reported that a man was "going crazy." The man, who evidently assaulted several people at the home and told them he "was on a bad trip from ingesting K-2," got down "on his hands and knees and chased a neighbor while barking and growling like a dog," according to witnesses, Waco police Sgt. W. Patrick Swanton said Monday. The man then took a medium-sized black dog onto the front porch of the home where he beat and strangled the animal and then "began to bite into the dog, ripping pieces of flesh away," Swanton said. The dog died at the scene. Officers found Daniel sitting on the porch with blood on his hands, clothing and face, Swanton said. He was "initially incoherent and unresponsive," Swanton said, and was taken to Providence Health Center by ambulance. While waiting for paramedics to arrive, Swanton said, Daniel asked officers to fight him or use a stun gun "to help him get off his bad trip," Swanton said. Officers did neither, Swanton said. Daniel was awaiting booking at the McLennan County Jail Friday afternoon. K-2 is a form of synthetic marijuana. None of the chemicals the herbal product contains is a copy of anything found in cannabis, although the effects can be similar. Studies suggest synthetic cannabis use is associated with psychosis and the exacerbation of existing psychotic disorders. Extreme paranoia, hallucinations and violent behavior have also been reported.

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