Man charged with trespassing says he's an urban explorer

Nov 23, 10:47 AM EST

Man charged with trespassing says he's an urban explorer

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) -- A man arrested for trespassing on the roof of an elementary schools says he wasn't there to steal anything or cause any damage, but that he was an urban explorer.

Urban explorers examine normally unseen or off-limits parts of civilization including sewers, tunnels and buildings.

Council Bluffs police received a complaint of a man burglarizing Kreft Elementary school on Tuesday evening. When officers arrived, they saw a man dressed in dark clothing, a ski mask and wearing a backpack running on the roof of the school. The man was later identified as Jake Miller, 20, of Council Bluffs.

When Miller jumped off the roof, a police officer was standing about 10 feet away.

The officer told Miller to get on the ground, but police reports said Miller attempted to run.

The officer shot Miller in the right arm with a Taser, causing Miller to scream and fall to the ground.

Miller told police he was just urban exploring and had planned to steal nothing or cause damage.

No burglary tools, weapons or contraband were found in Miller's backpack, police said.

Medics were called to treat Miller's Taser wounds, and he was transported to Pottawattamie County Jail, where he was charged with criminal trespassing and eluding police.