Despite repeated efforts to obtain information about the nude man arrested as he walked down a major Cinco Ranch thoroughfare last Sunday, the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office has not responded to inquiries from FortBendNow.
According to witness accounts, officers subdued the unidentified man late Sunday evening as he strolled down Cinco Ranch Boulevard near Cinco Ranch Junior High School and the trendy LaCenterra shopping center.
At least three Fort Bend County sheriff’s patrol cars and one Fort Bend County deputy constable’s unit responded to calls about the naked man. When police arrived, witnesses said the suspect ran east into a commercial and business development across the street from the junior high school.
Officers pursued the fleeing man, finally subduing him with a Taser, according to one witness. Another witness has said she did not see him flee or get Tasered.
Throughout the past week, FortBendNow has made numerous efforts to obtain more information about the man from the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office, including multiple telephone messages and e-mails to department spokesperson Terriann Carlson. Neither Carlson nor anyone else with the sheriff’s office has responded to any of those inquiries.
FortBendNow has filed an open records request to examine public documents associated with the arrest of the unknown man. Under Texas law, booking information including an arrestee’s name, address and arrest charges are public information
Falcon Ranch resident Jeffrey Cohen said he was taking his children to a nearby ice cream shop when they saw the man walking along the sidewalk.
“It was the damndest thing you can imagine. We were stopped at the red light and my kids said, ‘Daddy, daddy; that man hasn’t got any clothes on,’” Cohen said. “I was grabbing for my phone to call 911 when the police started to arrive.”
Cohen said the man was “acting erratic,” as though he was mentally unstable or under the influence of some sort of substance.
“Erratic is the only way I could describe it. I know that sounds silly considering he was completely naked, but he was acting like he was just in a world of his own,” Cohen said.
Evelyn Russell was pulling into the parking lot of a nearby fast food establishment when she saw the man run from officers.
“It’s the oddest thing; at first you really don’t believe what you’re seeing. Then it got to be kind of funny,” Russell said. “I just hope they get the guy help; he obviously needs it.”
Tinsley Alexander was one of the first people to spot the nude pedestrian as he walked along the sidewalk near the Cinco Ranch Water Park. At that point, Alexander explained, the man was acting casually.
“At first, I wondered if he had a thong on or one of those prank buttocks. As I passed, I turned back to look and (saw) nothing. I couldn’t believe it,” Alexander said “I called 911; I think I was the first to call since they asked a lot of questions. All I could think was to get this man off the streets before children would see him. He wasn’t erratic, swaying; just laughing, smiling and walking very casually.”
Alexander said she watched as the man casually waited for the traffic signal, crossed Westheimer Parkway and continued on his way. Moments later, Alexander saw a police officer take the man into custody.
“As I turn around again, one policeman had him on his hands and knees. Then the police officer has him lie down on the sidewalk face down and handcuffed him,” Alexander recalled “I didn’t see the Taser used at all. I didn’t see him flee, either.”
1. June 2009 at 10:35 am
Seems to me y’all got the story,…or at least 2 versions,…one the man is a lunitic that had to be tazered after fleeing, the other story is the man was most likely mentally ill and the Sheriff’s Deputies did a professional job in taking care of the situation.
Does it really matter?,……….the problem was solved.