Man claiming to be chased by werewolf in Conway

— A bizarre incident in Conway led officers to a man on the Hendrix College campus who believed he was being chased by a werewolf.

James Anderson Jr., 27, of Conway, was taken into custody Saturday after running through the north side of Conway and the Hendrix College campus, fleeing from what he described as a "werewolf."

Anderson told his story to Conway police officers, who arrived at the scene after public safety officers at Hendrix called dispatch.

According to a report released by the Conway Police Department, the incident began when Anderson was in the local Wal-Mart and noticed a "strange red light" that Anderson said caused his body to start smoking. Anderson said that the red light forced him to "tell the truth and be full of energy".

Anderson said he then ran from the Wal-Mart to where he had been sleeping, the alleyway by the Coin Laundry, 1065 Clayton Street, the report said. When he arrived, Anderson claimed that a "large beast began to talk to him" and that he believed the beast was a werewolf. He also claimed that the werewolf told him to "get rid of the odor," only Anderson didn't know what he meant.

Anderson then ran to Carrington Apartments at 2010 Cleveland Ave. and kicked in the door – Anderson stated that the werewolf would harm him if he didn't kick in the door — to an apartment in the complex. He then took off all his clothes and dumped them into the dryer with the resident's clothes, pouring a gallon of bleach into the dryer. Anderson then put on another set of clothes and "decided to scare the werewolf off" by attempting to light the bleached clothes on fire, but was unsuccessful, according to the report.

Anderson told officers he was scared for his life, ran upstairs and "flew off the balcony."

After being apprehended, Anderson became nervous when anyone tried to approach him, became aggressive and asked if the police were going to kill him. Anderson only calmed down after the officers advised him that the handcuffs were made of silver and the werewolf couldn't hurt him as long as he had them on.

Anderson was arrested on charges of residential burglary, two counts of first-degree criminal mischief and drunk insane, according to the report.

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