Police Use Stun Gun On Man Battling House Fire

[cowcommander]

NORTH BELLE VERNON, Pa. –– Police had to use a stun gun on a North Belle Vernon man whose house was on fire because they said the man was endangering himself trying to battle the blaze with a garden hose.

Officials in North Belle Vernon said the fire broke out Monday afternoon and spread to two Green Street houses.

Police said they tried three times to remove Damon Baker from the scene, but he wouldn't budge, so officers used a Taser to subdue him.

"Had I been able to stay there and spray it down, we may not have lost all our animals," Baker said.

"In any type of fire or situation like that, the best thing for the homeowner to do is let the fire department come in and do their job so that no one gets hurt,” said Fire Chief Ken Ramsdell.

Baker said was just trying to save his pet reptiles. Five of his snakes made it out of the fire, but six didn't survive.

Police said no charges will be filed against Baker.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/24901142/detail.html

[slampoet]

1. If there is a tasering and the police file no charges then something is fishy.

[HomerJay]

3. +1 n/t

[trotsky]

2. What an idiot.

He's lucky he was only tazed and not killed while "fighting" the fire.

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. So if YOUR place is on fire, you'd just stand around and wait for the

fire department to show up, if you had a hose available that might slow the fire's progress?

[trotsky]

6. I'd like to think I'm more valuable to my family alive than dead.

And I also like to think I'm smart enough to realize that ANY garden hose isn't going to have an effect on a house fire.

YMMV.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. A garden hose will not put out a house fire, but it can slow it down

a bit so there's something left when the fire department shows up. Why do you think buildings have fire extinguishers in them? That little CO2 canister is not going to put out a building fire, right?

How, exactly, is a guy standing on his lawn with a garden hose 20' from the fire, in danger?

What is YMMV?

[trotsky]

13. You've never been near a house fire, have you?

And extinguishers are made to put out a fire that hasn't spread to the structure.

How, exactly, is a guy standing on his lawn with a garden hose 20' from the fire, in danger?
I'm just going to make the crazy assumption that the professionals who fight fires (and rescue people) know more than some random person on the Internet. I know, that's very stupid of me.

What is YMMV?
Your Mileage May Vary.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

10. The fire was spreading from adjacent building so the hose MAY have helped.

Furthermore, he was standing outside so his risk of death or severe injury was minimal ... unless, of course, he somehow became incapacitated on the ground with muscle spasms .... oh wait.

[RamboLiberal]

12. +1 on that - he was spraying the side of his house

IMHO he was not in mortal danger. BTW he took it damn well. Told the cop it only tickled and didn't knock him on his ass like he expected it to. Apparently the cop had it on a low setting or this guy was somewhat immune.

This one is talk radio fodder in the Burgh today asking if cops are going to the taser too often.

[NashVegas]

11. So What If It Was Useless? What Was He Harming?

NOTHING.

Not a fucking thing, expect the police officer's misused authority.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. He was putting his own life in needless jeopardy...

as well as the police and firemen who'd have to deal with the stupid fucker.

[eShirl]

5. I thought the taser was supposed to be an alternative to shooting someone?

It just seems to me some cops over-use the taser out of laziness.

[Rebubula]

8. From the article...

...the man was emotionally overwhelmed (by reptiles though - who cares...? - yeah, that was cold blooded)and had been removed from the property a couple of times. He was clearly a danger to himself and was not listening to reason (house fire = too big for a garden hose).

Sometimes, it takes a 2x4 to get the donkey's attention...

[Hassin Bin Sober]

14. Oh a three-fer, huh?

Support of tasering a non-threatening person, callous disregard for trapped pets and analogies using violence toward animals.

I wonder about people that have attitudes such as yours when it comes to animals. Behavioral Scientists say serial killers get their start torturing animals. I wonder what they say about people with a such callous disregard for the lives of pets.

Let's just say I would rather have thw water hose guy around my family and kids than someone with your views.

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Over-react and hyperbolize much?

:eyes:

[Marnie]

7. Bring marshmallows

So if a child if pulling their granmaw from the blazing home and the police tell the child to wait for the fire department to save granmaw, who will be baco bits by then, and the kid keeps pulling, the cops will assault, demobilize, arrest, jail, and charge the kid and let granmaw toast?

Why do civilians not have the same right to refuse stupid orders from cops that military does?

Oh Yeah, cause cops get violent when civilians don't follow a stupid order.