Police Explain Protocol After Tazing Naked Man On Tulsa Highway

A naked man who took to a busy city highway created a challenge for Tulsa Police.

The calls started pouring in to TPD just after 1 o'clock Sunday afternoon.

We can't be sure if the man was on drugs or mentally ill, so we are choosing not to reveal his identity; but police said no matter what it was, they had to get the man into custody as quickly as possible.

Drivers grabbed their cell phones Sunday, documenting the entire ordeal.

"Is this person having a mental breakdown or is it narcotics induced, you don't know," said Tulsa Police Officer, Leland Ashley.

Video shows the officer gave the man verbal commands.

"It's obvious this individual is not listening," Ashley said.

Police said when the suspect started walking towards the officer, that officer knew he had to stop him and decided to use his Taser, but the shock didn't have much effect.

"Ultimately you're saying 'I know what he should've felt and it didn't faze him.' So, you can imagine the mindset of the officer now, ‘Wow,'" Ashley said.

Tulsa police go through training on how to deal with people who might be mentally ill or high on some sort of narcotic.

Ashley said, "Any time you're dealing with mental health you have to take your time, but sometimes they can force the situation."

Officers also learned, moments before making it to the expressway, the man reportedly tried to break down the door of a nearby home.

"He has already showed us he doesn't really have a regard for society right now or at that moment," Ashley said.

That was just another reason, Ashley said, police had to get the man in custody.

With similar incidents being regularly caught on camera, the public now realizes how quickly a situation can change for police.

"I could go home all day and say what I did, but now you can actually turn on the TV and see what I did and it makes a difference," Ashley said.

The case will be investigated and the officer will have to fill out a use of force report.

Police arrested the suspect for indecent exposure, obstructing justice and attempted 2nd degree burglary.