Saturday, August 22, 2009

Homeless Man Catches Fire When Police Deploy Taser


Lancaster police


Lancaster police use a Taser on a man who was using inhalants, and the man catches on fire.


By Amanda Murphy

Published: August 19, 2009

LANCASTER, Ohio —Lancaster police used a Taser on a man who was using inhalants, and the man caught on fire.

NBC 4 gives you the FAST FACTS.

All of the following information came from an official release.

Lancaster officers were dispatched to the Kmart lot on Memorial Drive about 8 p.m. Monday on a report of a man huffing from an aerosol can and running into traffic.

Officers said they found a local homeless man, Daniel Wood, yelling at a crowd of about 10 people.

Wood, 31, tried to run from police.

The officers said they tried to gain control of Wood, who kicked and tried to bite the officers while attempting to continue to discharge the aerosol can into his mouth.

One of the two on-scene officers deployed a Taser.

One prong struck Wood in the arm and the other in the chest.

The officer said he saw a flame ignite.

He said he shut off the Taser and approached Wood to put out the flame. The other officer assisted.

Wood was handcuffed, and medics were requested.

Wood was arrested and taken to the jail after on-scene treatment.

He was arrested on resisting arrest and drug abuse charges.
.
.
.
.