A US man who had been watching the hit TV series The Walking Dead killed a friend because he thought the man was "turning into a zombie", police said.

Damon Perry, 23, of Prewitt, New Mexico, allegedly used kitchen knives, an electric guitar and a microwave to kill the victim last Thursday (local time).

He then went after other tenants in his apartment complex, in the small town of Grants, who managed to call police.

Hit TV series Walking Dead is set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. ( AMC )

"I have never seen or heard anything like this," Grants Police Department detective Moses Marquez said.

"The scene was pretty gruesome and his confession was bizarre.

"He attributes this murder to him drinking way too much and binge watching The Walking Dead."

The wildly popular horror TV drama is based on a comic book series and is set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies.

Detective Marquez said Perry told investigators he sprang into action when his friend "began to change into a zombie" and attempted to bite him.

He said an initial investigation found Perry, a father of two, had no history of mental illness.

He has been charged with murder and is being held on an $US800,000 cash bond.

AFP