Naked Man Tased by Fresno Police Ruled Justified by Department

A naked man was tased by the Fresno Police while walking away from them. Scott Buchnoff has a history of mental illness and a history of public nudity. The police are well aware of his condition but still they chose to electrocute him instead of finding a peaceful way to bring him into custody. Public nudity however is not in itself illegal, only indecent exposure is a crime and indecent exposure is defined as “willfully exposing your genitals to someone else, motivated by a desire to sexually gratify yourself or offend the other person.”

The incident was captured on cellphone video by the passenger a car that happened to be passing by. The quality isn’t the best but it appears to contradict the official police statement that the officers felt threatened by Buchnoff; who they claim was walking aggressively with his fist balled up.

Deputy Chief Lydia Carrasco said that officers believed he was going to fight them and had stated that he was going to make it rough for them. She also noted that Buchnoff told the officers that voices in his dead encouraged him to remove his clothes.

“At that time, the officers feared that he was going to fight them as he was refusing to submit to their commands. At that time, they tased him, taser was deployed and he was taken into custody,” stated Carrasco.

However the video shows Mr. Buchnoff walking at a regular pace down in the Fresno and Ashlan area. He does not appear to be verbally engaged or acting in a fashion that should make a cop feel threatened. He wasnt swinging his fists or kicking his feet he was merely walking.

This incident is just more evidence that you do not need to be armed or even properly clothed to make a police officer feel threatened. Buchnoff was arrested for resisting arrest.

Courtesy of Wikipedia: The laws governing indecent exposure in the United states vary according to location. In most states public nudity is illegal. However, in some states it is only illegal if it is accompanied by an intent to shock, arouse or offend other persons. Some states permit local governments to set local standards. Most states exempt breastfeeding mothers from prosecution.

Related Resources

• Think for Yourself: http://CopBlock.org/Library
• Strike the Root: http://Strike-The-Root.com
• End Police Brutality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SylM2vtd-u0
• Tips on Filming the Police: http://copblock.org/filmthepolice
• Smartphone Apps: http://copblock.org/apps
• For Police Employees: http://copblock.org/welcomeleos