'Kony 2012' Filmmaker Arrested in San Diego for Public Masturbation, Vandalizing
"Kony 2012" filmmaker Jason Russell was arrested in San Diego Thursday for public masturbation, vandalizing cars and some form of intoxication, according to the San Diego Police Department.
The police department held a press conference Friday in which Lt. Andra Brown said Russell "was no problem for the police department however, during the evaluation we learned that we probably needed to take care of him."
The San Diego Police Department has not returned multiples requests for comment.
Invisible Children CEO Ben Keesey has released a statement on Russell's arrest, blaming dehydration, exhaustion and malnutrition for his fellow co-founder's condition.
Russell is not only a co-founder of Invisible Children, the non-profit organization behind the "Kony 2012" video, but the director of the video that has brought attention to the group.
“Kony 2012” has upwards of 80 million views on YouTube and has drawn the support of celebrities like Oprah and Rihanna.
The group, which made the video to bring attention to Ugandan guerilla leader Joseph Kony, has been criticized for a lack of transparency and for oversimplifying the problems of Central Africa. It has since released a video, featuring Keesey, responding to those claims.
Also read: 'Kony 2012': Can a YouTube Video Stop an International Child-Killer?
Russell is described on the group's website as its “grand storyteller and dreamer” who “admires Oprah, Bono, Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, Baz Luhrmann, and Dan Eldon.”
A graduate of USC Film School, he has a wife and two kids. He wants to have nine more kids.
Related Articles:
'Kony 2012': Can a YouTube Video Stop an International Child-Killer?
