HOUSTON – A video showing a wild confrontation between a Houston Police Department officer and a naked man on a METRORail train has gone internationally viral.
The cellphone video, captured June 6 by Benjamin Marquina, shows 49-year-old Keith Dean completely naked holding a pesticide sprayer he'd stolen from a METRO groundskeeping crew.
"I heard a commotion and went outside and then I saw the naked man inside the train," Marquina said.
Marquina said Dean was spraying people on the train platform then jumped inside the train.
Two HPD officers responded, ordering him to put the sprayer down.
An officer eventually grabbed it from Dean, who then slapped the officer in the face.
The officer stunned Dean with a Taser twice, sending him to the ground.
Marquina said he couldn't believe it when he saw Dean attack the officer.
"That was bad. That was bad. It was shocking to see. It was more shocking that he didn't get killed or shot," he said.
Marquina said he's glad the officer and his partner showed restraint, choosing to use the Taser instead of a gun.
"He didn't escalate it. He could have escalated it into something worse than just a Taser. And that's a good thing for everyone else to see how it should be handled," Marquina said.
Police said Dean told the officers he had smoked marijuana, but an HPD spokesperson said that doesn't necessarily explain his mental state or his actions.
HPD Executive Assistant Chief Troy Finner said in a statement, "We commend these two officers for their actions in bringing a volatile situation to a safe conclusion. The male clearly struck our officer, who in turn used sound judgement in holding his composure and gaining control of the scene .... thanks to assistance from his partner."
According to court records, Dean is originally from Kansas and is currently homeless. He is charged with two counts of bodily injury to a peace officer. He is currently in jail.
