Man bursts into flames after Taser shock
Man holding a lighter, douses himself with petrol, charges police officer

Officer fires Taser stun gun when he ignores command to stop, man catches alight

Police had received a report that the man and some others were sniffing glue

Man airlifted to hospital to undergo treatment for severe burns in Perth, W. Australia

updated 2:46 a.m. EDT, Tue July 21,

By Saeed Ahmed
CNN

(CNN) -- A man, who doused himself with gasoline and charged at an officer, burst into flames when he was hit with a Taser, police in Australia said Tuesday.

"He was carrying a lighter and pouring himself with petrol," said Inspector Bill Munnee with the West Australian Police. "We don't know if the lighter set it off or something from the Taser."

Authorities have launched an inquiry into what happened Monday when an officer arrived at the 36-year-old man's house in the remote desert community of Warburton.

Police had received a report that the man and some others were sniffing glue, Munnee said.

At the sight of the arriving officers, the man ran out of the house with a container of gasoline and a cigarette lighter, police said.

When he ignored the officer's command to stop, the officer fired his Taser stun gun -- and the man "caught alight," Munnee said.


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When used, some stun guns emit an electric spark as they deliver an electric current. The jolt of electricity inhibits voluntary control of muscles, temporarily incapacitating the person.

While the officer tried to put out the fire, a woman from inside the house threw rocks at him, Munnee said. The officer suffered both burns from the fire and cuts from the rocks.

The man was airlifted to a hospital in the Western Australian capital of Perth, where he is undergoing treatment for severe burns.

Police charged him with assault with intent to prevent arrest and possession of a deleterious substance.

The rock-throwing woman was charged with assaulting a public officer.

"He has an extensive record of very violent behavior toward police and people," Munnee said of the man. "He's not Mother Teresa or the Pope."

Two years ago, a man in Texas died in a similar incident when he too caught fire after he was shot with a Taser.

In that case as well, the man had poured gasoline on himself and was resisting arrest

some have more training than brains

idiot

should loose their job for sure

did anybody think to grab some marshmellows

I'm confused here with what seems like parts of different stories. A teen, a pastor, a man, and a Texan. It could just be me, but it's hard for me to follow and seemed to have some repetition and at other times incomplete.

As for the one who was sniffing glue and if he's the one who had prior issues of violence including accosting officers of the law & trying to set himself on fire before, and the police officer was threatened, and that was what was on hand to prevent further loss to others' safety, so be it. I'm as sympathetic as they come, but it looks like the guy wanted to douse himself, under the influence of glue or not, and had tried before. May he rest in peace, as he evidently did not do well on earth. Should the cop have used a gun instead when he was charged at by a high nut with petrol and a lighter?

Saw an episode on CSI about this very thing

it should be against the law for a cop to taser anyone.

You're right! They should just shoot to maim and kill instead. Save our jail system funds if they croak.

Don't only save on jail funding, also save on medical expenses, meals, living expenses, attorney expenses, court expenses, laundry expense, just add funeral arrangements

yet another glue sniffing hazard.. I'll need to be careful while huffing.

I have seen the effects of someone being tazed up close.......there was a big guy (body builder I assumed) beating the crap out of some poor smart mouth teenage. The cops got called and they told the big guy to stop....3 police officers tried to break it up but that didn't work........so they warned him to stop before they shot him with the stun gun.

Of course he did not....well for the sake of that poor teenager and all bystanders I was glad that the police used the stun gun. The police shot him..... and he fell to the ground with the electrods stuck in his back. It was almost like watching a horror movie where you think the beast is dead and then he gets back up again. That is exactly what happened in this case. When the big guy got up he decided to take revenge on anyone within his sight....since the electrods were still in him the police warned him to sit down immediately that is when he chose to attack the police officer. The officer then shocked him a second time. This time the big guy stayed down as told.

So as you can see there are pros and cons to all situations.

As for the teenager, he managed to live but not without a broken nose, 3 broken ribs, broken cheek bone, 5 teeth knocked out and a broken jaw that had to be wired shut for more than a year.

like PLK stated, this is from today's paper - not a big guy by any means but it took 5 officers and the stun gun to put him down.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/07/21/0721courtroom.html?imw=Y

cops have enough power as it is.cops are nothing more then bully's. a cop is the last person i would call. for me i don't need some cop helping me.

As always, there are bad mixed in with the good. I've had several police officer acquaintances throughout the years. A lot worked as security guards at the banks where I've worked. I was lucky enough to mostly deal with fine men and women of the law. I don't think the police have enough arsenal to keep up with the whack jobs and amoral miscreants of society. I'd rather see a self-mutilating huffing abusive teen bent on injuring himself and others dead than a policeman or policewoman trying to do good, with a loving spouse and dependent children. MOST police are good people. And they NEVER know what they are walking into no matter how innocuous a situation may seem and have to often be on such high alert, then are constantly judged for their actions or inactions. So often, no matter what, they've "done wrong". The bully police are the ones you see on the news. They are NOT the norm. And for such a blanket statement from one seems indicative of one's personal experience.