After a chase where speeds reached 100 mph, a biker ditched the motorcycle and fled on foot. When a trooper caught up with the man, he deployed his Taser and caused the man to burst into flames, here’s why…
Biker leads cops on a high-speed chase
It all started early in the morning around 1:20 AM on October 13, when a trooper in Little Rock, Arkansas, spotted a motorcyclist on the roadway with no license plate. When cops attempted to pull the biker over, he refused to stop. It led to a chase that authorities say reached speeds up to 100 MPH, CBS 19 News reported.
Later in the chase, as the state troopers caught up, he jumped off of his motorcycle and attempted to escape on foot, Yahoo! News reported.
Man bursts into flames after being tasered by cops – why?
As the man began to escape on foot, one trooper caught up to them and deployed his Taser in an attempt to apprehend him. That’s when the suspect unexpectedly burst into flames, as seen in this video from ABC 40/29 news.
Authorities immediately put the fire out, but not before the suspect was injured. The suspect was transported for emergency treatment.
The suspect has been identified as Christopher Gaylor, 38. He remains hospitalized and recovering from the incident nearly 2 weeks later.
Gaylor is facing numerous charges including felony fleeing, reckless driving, failure to register a vehicle, no liability insurance, and driving with a suspended license.
What caused the man to burst into flames?
The cause of the fire has been attributed to the contents of the backpack Gaylor was wearing. Authorities say Gaylor had a gallon of gasoline inside his backpack that ignited from the electrical spark of the Taser, the New York Post reported.
The troopers involved are not facing any disciplinary actions and authorities say Gaylor is expected to recover from his injuries.
Critics online argue this is another example of why Tasers should be banned
The incident also sparked criticism online as critics say this incident is one more piece of evidence that Tasers pose a major threat to both the safety and health of the general public.
Advocates also pointed out that police have killed more than 600 people in the US during traffic stops since 2017.
According to one report by fatal encounters.org, there have been at least 513 cases since 2010 in which subjects died soon after police used Tasers on them, USA Today reported.
