Upstate New York Man Bursts Into Flames After Being Tasered By Police
An Upstate New York man is in critical condition at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse after bursting into flames when police used a taser to subdue him.
The Albany Times Union reports the 29-year-old Jason Jones walked into the walked into the Catskill Village Police Department on October 30 and got into a confrontation with officers.
Jones is reportedly in "grave" condition.
Chief Dave Darling says officers deployed a taser to subdue Jones and he burst into flames.
Jones had reportedly just doused himself with hand sanitizer.
Darling said the officers were familiar with Jones from previous encounters.
"I think they were afraid he was going to hurt himself and that's what started it," Darling told the newspaper.
An attorney for the man's family has asked police to preserve all recordings and written materials related to the encounter.
He said said that his officers are not equipped with body cameras, but that there are video cameras in the police station.
The incident is under investigation by the Greene County Districts Attorney's Office.
Jones was a decorated athlete at Catskill High School more than a decade ago.
