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March 15, 2006
Naked man tasered by Police at Demo Derby
This story was originally published here, and is being reproduced with the permission of the Planet Jackson Hole. Please see my note before the last three pictures.
By Gil Brady with additional reporting by Dan Haworth
8.01.05
Fun turned to stunned just after sundown Sunday when a streaker was "tasered" by cops at the 2005 Demolition Derby.
"I was furious because it wasn’t that big a deal. Did they have to taser him in front of 5,000 people and kids?"
About 3,400 on-lookers – including families and children – got more than the usual clouds of rodeo dirt and souped-up hot rods ramming into one another when, moments before the winner-takes-all round, a naked man leapt from the stands holding a red fire extinguisher and raced around the rodeo pit, eluding police while attempting to spray fans in the grandstand.
Spectators cheered the nudist as two Jackson Hole police and a sheriff’s deputy gave hot pursuit on foot. They finally took the man down when the deputy fired a taser dart into the streaker’s right shoulder blade.
The tasering provoked catcalls and boos as the nudist quivered and shook before falling and writhing facedown in the dirt for several seconds. As the arresting peace officers lifted and cuffed the naked man’s hands behind his back, urine trickled down the streaker’s front.
Upon recovering, the exhibitionist acknowledged the crowd with a half-dazed nod before shaking his curly hair defiantly while being escorted off in the buff.
Not to be upstaged by the bare truth below, the derby announcer peered out the sky booth, smiled into his mike, and quipped, "Must be a chilly evening."
An informal poll of eyewitness reactions following the incident found near unanimous disapproval at the tactics of law enforcement responding to the scene, from shock and dismay to genuine outrage.
At a party immediately following the derby, an outraged Kevin McBride asked, "How many Jackson Hole cops does it take to catch a naked man in a rodeo arena? I was furious, because it wasn’t that big a deal. Did they have to taser him in front of 5,000 people and kids?"
"He was shaking, like this," said a bearded man in his 20s who witnessed the tasering, shimmying his shoulders and rolling his eyes for inquisitive friends several hours later at 43 North.
Others, viewing streakers at the Demolition Derby as an expected annual event in itself, questioned what motivated police to act with such force. Some wondered if this year a new moral high bar had been set.
"It shouldn’t be a PG-13 [event]," said Ryan Haworth. "The derby is for adults. However, they made it clear, if you streak you will be punished."
Dave Peters, 23, sitting nearby, said, "It was necessary to make the example, but the taser was excessive."
Georgia Ligori called the actions of the police "excessive" and the use of the taser, "unwarranted."
Ligori continued, "It’s just kids having fun. It was anticipated, it happens nearly every year."
Egan’s husband, Bruce, 52, a retired economist, said, "If you have kids why bring them to a demo-demolish? Pig-wrestling maybe, but demo derby never."
Egan continued, "Tasing the streaker was bullshit. Who is the guy hurting? In years past, everyone cheered the streaker. This year, they taser a guy. What happened? Young kids will do what they want to do. They don’t have much money, so their 15 minutes of fame is to streak. I’ve seen streakers in my day. I’ve been to Yankee Stadium and World Cup soccer matches, but this is the first streaker I’ve ever seen tasered ... it was police brutality and excessive force."
At a post-derby house party featuring loud music and flowing kegs that attracted the attention of police cruisers, Leah Smith shook her head wistfully while reflecting on what she had saw, "He was a true American. Tasering him was pretty lame. The streaker was the essence of the derby."
Her male companion sipped his beer and nodded in full agreement.
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Comments
What a bunch of FASCIST PIGS!
Welcome to the 21st century USA that is rapidly becoming the 4th reich
Posted by: john at October 25, 2006 12:22 PM
Think that the police were right in tasering him. Have you ever been hit by a fire extinguisher? Drunk, or not, they didn't know. Drugs could be a factor. Police protect civilians first, and themselves second.
Posted by: K at February 11, 2007 12:52 PM
I think I would agree with you k.
Posted by: gid at February 12, 2007 6:46 AM
>>K -
It didn't mention anywhere that he tried to hit anybody with a fire extinguisher. He tried to spray it into the crowd, but never hit anyone with it (That the article mentions)
Posted by: Kull at February 13, 2007 12:01 PM
You know, on this one, I'm gonna have to side with he cops. I work in a hospital, and I have had people come from being sprayed with what they thought was an extinguisher, and it turned out to have arsenic mixed into it. One of those people will never see again. In this day an age, you can never be sure. It could just be a prank, and it could be something dangerous. That's the age we live in.
Posted by: Malloureigh Gilson at April 6, 2007 1:14 PM
he's maybe mentally crazy
Posted by: andrie at June 26, 2007 3:48 AM
Ok guys, I know I am a little late chiming in on this but… In a crowed event in a post 911 world, spraying any type of chemical into a crowd is pretty stupid, had I been there with my child there is no telling how I would have reacted. As a active military member I can side a little with the cops in regards to the endless possibilities of threats to the public, it could have been anything in that bottle, and like the article said he continued to elude law enforcement. Stopping the threat with the lowest possible means, just so happened to be the tazer, sorry he had it coming. Now you say this happens at the Derby every year? Do they always spray the crowd with a chemical? I think that was his mistake, had he not done that I am sure it would have got a nice big laugh and all would have been well. Now for my personal thought, a bit extreme and the cops got pissed off because he juked and jived his way around them and made them look like fools, box him in and tackle him, wait a sec, if they do that then they get the uniform dirty… oh well, BUT watching some idiot get tazered is pretty funny in my book as well!
Posted by: Robert Scaife at July 25, 2007 10:23 AM
COPS all the way...sorry guys but this is a no brainer...the taser on a young man means no injury for him or cops....vs a bunch of cops jumping on top of a male carrying a 30 - 40 lb weight that can spray who knows what....The tazer looks draconic but as soon as the power is turned off there are no lasting effects....
Posted by: Brett at October 8, 2007 4:27 PM
It only hurts when they fire the dart into the genitals. And when the tazer fires. And when the rip the dart out, I guess.
He's a nudist. Who cares what happens to him? You'd have to be a pervert to be one anyway.
Posted by: Nudist Blaster at June 29, 2008 10:28 PM
It's not about the nudist wanting to spray the crowd, it's about the previous comments of people that have being sprayed with terrorism bubble and they dont even know it. Sorry guys.
Posted by: Angel Niro at July 29, 2008 10:39 AM
