Taser gun sets man aflame

If you ever watch CNBC, you’ll notice that a regular visitor to Squak Box is Thomas Smith, the CEO of much maligned Taser. Taser is well known for its electrical stun gun, which seems to kill an awful lot of people when used by U.S. police forces to quell a disturbed individual. Lawsuits are aplenty (and many are dismissed), but this story may not generate one as the family of the latest person killed by a Taser was trying to get rid of the fellow in any event.

And despite the headline of the Daily Mail article, it isn’t as though the stun gun actually set off a spontaneous human combustion event. It’s that the police used the Taser on the fellow AFTER HE HAD POURED GASOLINE ON HIMSELF.

I’m not sure that you need to be much of a technologist, or have even passed Grade 12 chemistry, to know that an electrical charge might ignite a flammable substance. But, according to police, “they don’t know what ignited the fire”. Although I wasn’t at the scene, and police work is challenging at the best of times, I’m prepared to wager that the electrical charge ignited the fire – but that’s just a shot in the dark, mind you.

“Man bursts into flames after being shot by a taser gun

Police are investigating the firey death of a man who burst into flames after dousing himself in petrol and then being shot with a taser gun. Officers used the gun after the man had poured gasoline over himself.

Juan Flores Lopez, 47, died on Tuesday at a hospital in Texas.

Police initially used pepper spray when they tried to take Lopez into custody. Then they used the Taser. Some stun guns emit an electric spark when they deliver the jolt of electricity.

The Texas Rangers were also investigating whether a lighter that was on the porch could have contributed to the fire.

“We don’t know what ignited the fire,” police said.

No one else was injured in the confrontation. It was unclear whether Lopez had been charged with anything.

Two of his sons who live nearby said their father had been threatening for months to burn himself and his house. His wife was seeking a divorce and he did not want to have to leave the house, the sons said.”

Looks like a missed opportunity for some counselling and psychiatric work.

MRM