The Naked Cowboy moseyed back to New York City a free man Tuesday after a wild San Francisco weekend that included being cuffed by the cops and strutting into the courthouse wearing only a mink coat and underwear.

The case against the Times Square performer, known for his scantily clad guitar playing, was dropped after the police officer apparently put the wrong code on a citation issued Saturday, said the cowboy, also known as Robert Burck, 37.

San Francisco police Sgt. Neville Gittens was unable to confirm Monday that the charges were dropped, but said Burck was arrested for a permit violation as he played guitar Friday at 2:25 p.m. in Union Square.

“He was standing on the southwest steps wearing only a cowboy hat and underwear,” Gittens said. “The officer went up to him and told him he needed a permit to perform in Union Square. The officer warned him numerous times to desist playing and told him if he continued to play, he would be arrested. He said ‘go ahead and arrest me.’”

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Burck was handcuffed and taken to a nearby police station, where he was cited and released.

Reflecting on the incident as he waited for his New York-bound flight at SFO on Monday, Burck said he was probably too confrontational with the officer.

“I was probably getting in his face,” he said.

Burck said that the arresting officer’s co-workers became “jublilant” when the performer sauntered into the station in his boots and not much else.

“They were saying, ‘Hey, you arrested the Naked Cowboy,’ and laughing and ridiculing and goofing off,’” he said.

On Monday, the cowboy spent most of the morning trying to resolve the citation at the Hall of Justice. Finally, someone figured out that the officer wrote the wrong code on the ticket and the citation was invalidated, Burck said.

Burck was in town with his girlfriend, who was attending a belly-dancing seminar in El Cerrito.

tbarak@sfexaminer.com  

Robert Burck

AKA: “The Naked Cowboy”

Age: 37

Sign: Capricorn

Occupation: NYC busker

Got his start: Performing at Venice Beach

TV appearances: “Today Show,” “The Apprentice,” “Lonely Planet” and “Howard Stern,” among others