Video obtained by NBC Washington shows a naked man standing on top of a moving Metropolitan Police Department cruiser.
The fully nude man bounces and appears to clap as a police SUV slowly moves along Minnesota Avenue NE, video shared by a law enforcement source shows.
Police say the man climbed on top of the police SUV at about 2 p.m. Wednesday and officers were able to get him down safely, police said. He appeared to be in an altered mental state, according to police, and was taken to a hospital for treatment, including a mental health evaluation.
It’s unclear if the officer behind the wheel knew the man was on top of the cruiser.
The video appeared to have been shared on social media. It wasn’t immediately clear who recorded or posted it.
Police are facing questions about the video.
“First things first: Safety. That’s number one for the officer, for everyone around and for the individual themselves,” retired Anne Arundel County Police Department Cmdr. TJ Smith said after seeing the video.
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“When you encounter somebody who's naked in the middle of the day, naked in our area, where we know what the weather's like, you know instantly that there is some sort of mental incapacitation,” he said.
NBC Washington asked Smith how officers respond to these types of situations.
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“You have to take control of the situation, understanding that you're dealing with somebody who's going through – whether it's a mental situation or a drug situation – it’s something that's altering their mind,” Smith said. “But as a police officer, it's now time to deescalate the situation, certainly not drive around with them on top of your vehicle, but deescalate that situation.”
MPD said they are investigating both the incident and the officer’s actions.
