Jason Russell, the co-founder of Invisible Children, the advocacy group behind the "Kony 2012" viral video, was detained and taken by police to a medical facility for evaluation on Thursday morning after he was reported to be in his underwear, yelling incoherently and disrupting traffic in a San Diego neighborhood.
Law enforcement officials say there are no charges pending against Russell.
Lt. Andra Brown of the San Diego Police Department told The Huffington Post that a 33-year-old white male was not arrested but "transported to a local medical facility for evaluation and treatment." She would not confirm the identity of the man involved in the incident, but various media outlets report that it was the 33-year-old Russell.
In a statement posted online, Ben Keesey, the CEO of Invisible Children, also confirmed that Russell had been involved in an incident: "The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday. Jason’s passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue."
Scroll down for Keesey's full statement.
According to the San Diego Police Department, officers responded to reports of a male in his underwear pounding his fists on the sidewalk and yelling incoherently, disrupting traffic in the Pacific Beach neighborhood of San Diego. Police said that one caller reported that the man was nude and could have been masturbating, but officers did not confirm that when they arrived.
Scroll down for video of alleged incident. WARNING: Video provided by TMZ contains nudity.
According to TMZ, Russell was allegedly under the influence of alcohol. Police also told TMZ that he was vandalizing cars.
Russell created the 30-minute film featuring himself, his son, Gavin, and a former child soldier from Uganda named Jacob. Last week, the film received millions of views and rocketed Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, to fame. However, many were quick to respond with criticisms of the film and the organization's spending practices.
Russell is described on the organization's website as a "grand storyteller and dreamer" who dreams of "redefining the concept of humanitarian work" and having "nine more children" with his wife.
Updated 6:25 p.m. EDT:
Full statement from Ben Keesey, CEO of Invisible Children:
Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition. He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday. Jason’s passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue. We will always love and support Jason, and we ask that you give his entire family privacy during this difficult time.
UPDATE: This post has been updated with more information from the San Diego Police Department.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of Lt. Andra Brown as Lt. Andrea Brown. Additionally, based on initial reports, an earlier headline indicated that Mr. Russell was arrested. He was not arrested but rather detained. There are no charges pending.