Holly MatkinLittle Rock, AR – A fleeing motorcyclist burst into flames after being tased by police who had no idea he was carrying a bottle of gasoline in his backpack (video below).
The incident began shortly after 1 a.m. on Oct. 13, when an Arkansas State Police (ASP) trooper spotted a black sports bike without a license plate traveling down Asher Avenue, KARK reported.
When the trooper attempted to stop the motorcycle, the rider sped away, triggering a pursuit, according to the ASP.
The motorcyclist traveled through the city and down multiple side streets before fleeing down interstates 40, 30, and 630 at speeds reaching 120 miles per hour, police said.
Dashcam footage showed the suspect heading into oncoming traffic on several occasions during the high-speed chase, KARK reported.
The motorcyclist ultimately wound up in North Little Rock, where he dumped the bike in a grassy area near Chandler Street and Allen Street, according to police.
He then took off running on foot with a trooper following closely behind him, dashcam footage showed.
“Get on the ground!” the trooper ordered, just before he deployed a Taser at the suspect.
That’s when a fireball suddenly exploded out of the suspect’s backpack, instantly engulfing him in flames, dashcam footage showed.
“He’s on fire!” one of the troopers yelled as the flaming suspect jumped to his feet and began running around, leaving a trail of fire behind him.
The troopers quickly obtained a fire extinguisher from a patrol vehicle and used it to douse the flames as the suspect rolled around on the ground, the video showed.
After being taken into custody, the suspect was rushed to the Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s burn unit, KARK reported.
He has since been listed in stable condition and is expected to survive.
Investigators ultimately determined the unnamed suspect had a container of gasoline in his backpack during the pursuit, KARK reported.
The flammable liquid ignited when the Taser was deployed.
The suspect has been charged with first-degree reckless driving, felony fleeing, and driving on a suspended license, KARK reported.
Watch the incident unfold in the video below. Warning – Graphic Content:
Police in Arkansas chase a suspect who, it turns out, had a can of gasoline in his backpack. When an officer uses a taser on him, bad things result. pic.twitter.com/rrKNjpZEZo
— Mike (@Doranimated) October 21, 2022
