Psychiatric Treatment Ordered For Man Allegedly Seen Dancing Naked On Times Square TKTS Booth
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A man who allegedly danced naked and jumped from the TKTS booth in Times Square last week was released from state custody, but remained in a psychiatric unit after a court hearing Wednesday.
Krit McClean, 21, did not appear in court for the hearing, but appeared via video link from the psychiatric ward of Bellevue Hospital.
He was charged with public lewdness, disorderly conduct and exposure of a person on the incident this past Thursday, according to published reports.
Police said they received a call around 7:40 a.m. Thursday for an emotionally disturbed person. When they arrived, officers found the naked man putting on quite the show for hundreds of tourists and commuters.
McClean's social media pages identify him as a model with Ford Models, a graduate from the prestigious Stuyvesant High School, and a student at Columbia University who is now taking a gap year.
McClean was allegedly the one seen jumping, pointing, dancing, singing and spitting while completely naked. He was atop the TKTS booth for nearly an hour as helicopters hovered overhead, and the NYPD Emergency Services and Hostage Negotiation teams tried to talk him down.
Finally, the man did indeed jump off the ledge of the discount tickets booth at 47th Street and Broadway, just missing the air bag that had been set up for him. It was the equivalent of a three-story fall.
After he hit the sidewalk, it took another 15 minutes and at least six paramedics to hold him down and strap him to the gurney.
At the hearing Wednesday, defense attorney Dan Ollen told Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Felicia Mennin that his client would be transferred from the hospital's prison ward to its regular psych unit.
"Krit is a good man who had a really bad day, unfortunately, it happened in the middle of Times Square, where all the cameras were rolling," Ollen said.
Assistant District Attorney Danielle Turcotte consented to McClean's release as long as he continues psychiatric treatment.
