Death of man who caught fire after Taser under investigation

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Updated 7:01 pm, Wednesday, November 8, 2017

LINDSAY, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma authorities are investigating the death of a man who was hit by an officer's Taser and caught on fire after allegedly dousing himself with gasoline and taking out a lighter.

Norman police requested a welfare check Tuesday on a man who'd made comments about suicide, said McClain County Sheriff Don Hewett.

Authorities, who were responding to a call of a man acting erratic, found the man about 2 miles (3 kilometers) northwest of Lindsay sitting inside a van with a container of gasoline.

Authorities said the man refused to step out of the vehicle and was disregarding the officers' orders. He later came out of the vehicle with a lighter in his hand. He caught fire after a police officer deployed a Taser.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Oklahoma-authorities-investigate-fire-death-case-12342334.php

[irisblue]

1. How f-ing awful

[truthisfreedom]

2. Things not to do with a taser: Take down a perp doused with gasoline.

There could not possibly be a good outcome with this combination. They needed a firehose.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Town official: Officer knew Taser risked igniting fire

Ken Miller, Associated Press

 Updated 3:39 pm, Thursday, November 9, 2017

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma police officer who fired a Taser at a man who then caught fire and was burned beyond recognition inside a gasoline-soaked van took a "calculated risk" of igniting a fire, according to the city manager.

"This was a calculated risk issue," Lindsay City Manager Stephen Mills said Thursday. "The only chance of a good outcome was the use of a Taser, it was a slim chance, but it was the only chance," of taking the man into custody alive

"The calculated risk is this gas likely will ignite," Mills said.

The man, who McClain County authorities initially said had doused himself with gasoline, burned to death Tuesday when he caught fire inside his van after being shot with the Taser by a Lindsay police officer near the town of about 2,800 residents, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Town-official-Officer-knew-fire-risk-in-12345394.php