Tasered Homeless Man Catches on Fire

(AP)  Police in Ohio say officers using a new Taser stun gun briefly set a homeless man on fire while trying to subdue him.

A police report in Lancaster (LANG'-kuh-stur), about 30 miles southeast of Columbus, says one officer had seen the man inhaling a chemical from an aerosol can Monday night. That officer and another then struggled with the suspect, and the Taser was used. A flame appeared on the man's chest, and officers patted it down.

Police Chief David Bailey says 31-year-old Daniel Wood was not seriously hurt.

The department's policy warns against using Tasers when flammable chemicals may be present. Bailey says officers acted appropriately.

Wood was charged with abusing harmful intoxicants and other counts. Court records do not list his attorney.

[drthvader]

Well, tafhdyd this man was set afire. So, the taser has not been worked out has it? It is dangerous. A man having a diabetic attack was tased, a mentally challenged boy was tased to death. Can we not have something better than a taser. I can't agree that there isn't a better way to subdue people than this barbaric instrument. At least you're willing to debate and come to your own conclusion that tasers are the best way to subdue people that you know of. I don't agree with you. Plus I don't see the reason to use them so nonchalantly on people. I mean children's parties or standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. These aren't criminals. They committed no crime other than trying to have a family party. This was an Hispanic family, what will they do to the rest of us?
I still believe they can work on a type of tranquilizing instrument for people. We aren't all criminals just because we look ugly like this guy. Look at Abe Lincoln and the founding fathers of this country. I can't believe that with the technology we have today, there isn't a better way to subdue humans.

[drthvader]

Tasers kill whether you're right wing or left wing. Dangerous instruments they are.
Anyway: by Christine Estevez "Prince William County Police responded to a noise complaint of the home of Edgar Rodrigez, a 55 yr. old grandfather c elebrating his grandchildren's Baptism."
I am not anti-law enforcement, just want to point out the danger of the taser. How does anyone know when they will be labeled 'kook' 'in the wrong place at the wrong time', standing on the corner too long etc etc.It is the Taser itself I object to. That treatment is unnecessary, if you can't see that you're inhuman yourself. What if it is your family? Why NOT tranquilizer guns? (less pain, less death. A child's baptism, no less.

[tafhdyd]

Tranquilizers might work on someone in a confined space where they can't injure someone or get away before it starts to work. Too many problems otherwise. How long of a needle or dart? How much of a dose? how fast will it work, one or two seconds or one or two minutes. Allergic reaction to the drug. Enough to stop a big drunk would probably kill a small punk. Long enough needle to penetrate heavy clothes might puncture a lung on a t-shirt. If the person did have some form of weapon they might still be able to use it even if it acts in a few seconds. Nope, good for a bear in a house or mountain lion in a tree but not for crooks and criminals. Bullets or tasers for them.

[presjfk]

The sympathy for human garbage like this guy is appalling.

[drthvader]

I feel the need to comment on this again...An article by Christine Estevez reports that "In Virginia a pregnant woman and Grandfather was tased by cops." They weren't deemed insane, the music at their party was reported as too loud. These people couldn't have been classified as human garbage.

[tafhdyd]

drthvader...I feel the need to comment on this again...

I feel the need also. What are the details of the Virginia taser incident other than just the people involved? Were they gassed up on moonshine? Ignoring the police requests? Telling the police to shove it we're having a party and we don't give a s***! Or resisting arrest if it came to that? Or were they right wing big shots that thought they were above the law like their leaders?

[zonkzilla]

So you can be arrested, tasered, and set on fire for inhaling something from a spray can you bought at Wal Mart?
Charged with "abusing harmful intoxicants"?
Isn't second hand smoke especially pot a harmful intoxicant?
Why don't they arrest anyone who inhales anything but air?
I love this country, especially our freedom.
Let's beat down the homeless man, he has not fallen enough let's kick him while he is down.
That man should have been sent to the hospital, treated, and released.
My uncle was beaten, handcuffed, and arrested for public drunkenness and resisting arrest. Turns out he was having a Diabetic attack and did not know he had diabetes. He almost died in jail even though several of the other people in the cell kept yelling my uncle was sick and needed to go to a hospital.
You can call them "police", I call them GESTAPO.

[drthvader]

zonkzilla: You know what? That scares me!! I am also diabetic.
Too many incidents of misuse of tazers.
I will protest the use of tazers forever. People study what you are agreeing with!! I don't care if they LOOK ugly or not. A lot of people are ugly :). It's sick and twisted.
I too love the freedoms our country has left. Man I remember the Rodney King incident way back when. I suppose people think that tazing will be used on JUST other people. If they have them they will use them and some officers shouldn't even be on duty anyway. Remember I'm claiming only "some".
NO TO TAZERS.

[erasmus111]

"The department's policy warns against using Tasers when flammable chemicals may be present. Bailey says officers acted appropriately."


What's wrong with this statement? If they knew that this could happen, then how could it be appropriate?

I am quite sure that with there being two TRAINED officers, they could have managed without tasering him. Especially when he was probably an UNDER NOURISHED homeless man.

[brianbwb-2009]

I call it "redneck polysyllabic syndrome" the tendency of certain people to wax polysyllabic in an attempt to justify stupid, or illegal acts.

Torture becomes "enhanced interrogation", tortured kidnap victims become "enemy non-combatants", and tasering people while near volatile substances becomes "appropriate response".

[g_morgan]

The cops acted properly in my opinion. While the article doesn't spell it out completely, it's reasonable to believe that this guy was uncooperative with the cops and they tased him in order to get him cuffed. Tasers are remarkably effective 'persuaders' and are a huge advance over the blackjacks and billyclubs of yesteryear. Bummer this guy caught fire but he looks none the worse for his experience.

[brianbwb-2009]

It is good you recognize your statement as opinion, many others do not.

I would ask, what law obligates you to be "cooperative" with cops, unless you are being apprehended for committing an on-the-books crime?

Regardless of what it is "reasonable to believe", is there actually a law on the books that the man was breaking, which is the only legal reason that cops could order his cooperation?

The charge listed in the article "abusing harmful intoxicants" if such a local statute does exist, (it does not exist as a national statute) it is an unconstitutional law, which even a junior lawyer can successfully defend, as it is required to prove that the accused was harming himself, and the medical evidence would have to be specifically submitted for his case.

Perhaps what he was inhaling was not harmful to him personally, for reasons of metabolism, contra-indicative substances, etc. It is quite possible the accused will be found not guilty.

I see many posters who think that cops can instantly punish you for exercising your right to speech, when there is absolutely no law that says a cop has the authority to tell you to "shut up", or that they may punish you simply because you are doing something which may be entirely legal, but which they personally don't like to see you doing.

Therein lies the problem with the professor arrested a while back, his rant was in no way illegal, the police had no right to arrest him because they did not like what he was saying, which he, correct or not, was totally within his rights as an American to say?

Cops are paid to enforce the law, not their own will.

[eferrell2]

Why are tasers still being used?

[tafhdyd]

Tasers are still being used because in almost all cases they are not going to kill the people they are used on. Most of the people that are tased are resisting arrest, threatening someone etc. Where is the responsibility of the person being tased? If they have a bad heart or serious medical condition to make them susceptible to a quick death they should not get in the position of needing to be arrested with force. If the police say to get on the ground, do it and talk to the lawyers later if you think they are wrong. My question to you is would you rather they use lead bullets so if they are wrong they are dead wrong almost every time?

[aChangeOfIdeas]

Wow, a lot of people here are police officers or sure know a lot about law enforcement, to be telling them how to do their job.

[brianbwb-2009]

It is because we see a difference between "law enforcement" and "your will enforcement".

[Blatensphere]

Congratulations woeisme1, you got your picture published! Go crawl back under your rock.

[mary-miami]

The sad thing is that everyday that passes there are more homeless people who are not drug addicts, drunks or criminals. People who are getting evicted and have no place to go. The police should not be going after people that are not hurting anyone...they should go after the criminals. Tasers should never be used on someone who is unarmed, that is abuse.

[6591Hou]

"The police should not be going after people that are not hurting anyone...they should go after the criminals. Tasers should never be used on someone who is unarmed, that is abuse."

Huffing is a crime so the suspect in this case was a 'criminal' - and not using a taser on someone because they're 'unarmed' is a good way to get beaten down by an 'unarmed' suspect - contrary to popular opinion not every police officer is bigger than the people they encounter.

[brianbwb-2009]

6591Hou

Can you refer to the statute that says huffing is a crime? Or is it that you consider it a crime, and so improvise "law" on the subject?