Man Catches Fire After Being Tasered.

**Captain America** · 07-21-09, 10:33 AM

SYDNEY (July 21) -- A man whose relatives say had been sniffing gasoline burst into flames after a police officer Tasered him as he ran at officials carrying a container of fuel, police said Tuesday.The man, identified by his family as 36-year-old Ronald Mitchell, was in critical condition at a Perth hospital in Western Australia state following Monday's incident in Warburton, an Aboriginal community 950 miles (1,540 kilometers) northeast of Perth.Western Australia police said they were responding to a complaint at a house when Mitchell ran outside carrying a cigarette lighter and a large plastic bottle containing what they believe was fuel. When he refused to stop running toward them, one officer Tasered him, police said in a statement.The man was immediately engulfed in flames. The officer threw him to the ground and smothered the blaze with his hands, the statement said. Mitchell was charged with assault to prevent arrest and possession of a sniffing substance.An 18-year-old woman threw rocks at the officer as he tried to help, and he was later treated for a cut on his head and burns to his hands, police said.The woman was charged with two counts of assaulting an officer, police Sgt. Graham Clifford said. Two others at the house were charged with possessing a sniffing substance.Mitchell's sister, Morinda West, told The Australian newspaper that her brother had been sniffing gasoline and that when he ran out of the house he was carrying a lighter and an orange juice container full of gasoline.Police spokeswoman Susan Usher said Mitchell appeared to have received third-degree burns to about ten percent of his body. Western Australia Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan defended the officer's actions on Tuesday, calling Mitchell a known gasoline sniffer and violent offender."The police officers were concerned that they were going to be burnt so they deployed a Taser," O'Callaghan told reporters in Perth. "The only other choice they would have had is to use a police-issue firearm and the circumstances would almost certainly have been far more grave."O'Callaghan also said that while Mitchell did burst into flames after the Taser was deployed, it wasn't immediately clear if the stun gun actually sparked the fire.
"There is a very strong possibility the fire was caused by the lighter in the hand of the offender," he said.The officer who Tasered Mitchell was not suspended, Clifford said.

As the Human Torch would say "Flame on!!!"

**keith720** · 07-21-09, 10:42 AM

The last time I had Taser update, we tried to ignite our OC with the Taser, and 1 local department did have OC which ignited. They switched very quickly. I'm not surprised that the idiot soaked with gasoline went "Poof!"

**Standard Dave** · 07-21-09, 10:59 AM

Still probably better off that being slotted with a handgun.

**countybear** · 07-21-09, 11:07 AM

Glad to hear that the officer didn't get fired...

**Captain America** · 07-21-09, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by countybear

Glad to hear that the officer didn't get fired...

I would have been fuming if that happened.

**countybear** · 07-21-09, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by Captain America

I would have been fuming if that happened.

Yeah, that kind of crap burns me up...

**Second Chance** · 07-21-09, 01:52 PM

Gas must be cheaper in Sydney than lets say glue or paint.................

**So Fla Cop** · 07-21-09, 06:19 PM

If they didn't taser "Poof the Magic Dragon"...this would not have happened. Was it regular or unleaded?

**CTR man** · 07-21-09, 10:15 PM

Fried Human Moron anyone?

**TXCharlie** · 07-22-09, 12:45 AM

Next someone will sue to get fire extinguishers put on Tasers.

**Odd** · 07-22-09, 01:16 AM

Hey, that's an excellent idea! *looks for an all night patent lawyer*

Why this opens up a whole new line of thinking for combo products providing a benefit after the ouch. Antibiotic infused bullets, delousing OC...wait, probably already is effective with a heavy enough application, and it's already dual purposed beyond defensive. Pepper spray : aromatherapy for dumbasses.

Well, back to the drawing board.