I’m trying to imagine murdering someone with a makeshift flamethrower... I suppose if the guy was tied down, maybe... unless attempted murder has been legally redefined way out of English, as has been known to happen, it seems unlikely this charge won’t get dropped to something a little more reasonable
I used to carry a torch for someone, but not quite like this.
If you aim it at a person's face (and the guy did), and the person inhales flame, he will die in much pain.
Maybe assault of a police officer. In most jurisdictions, that would still be a very serious charge, but LA?
I was sort of thinking the same thing about the guy charged with attempted murder of Kavanaugh. Certainly, planning to commit murder or something, but attempted murder seems a bit of a stretch since he called the cops on himself and didn't go through with it. - He just wanted the hero status without the "suicide the by cop" part.
With high-heat accelerants, burns can compromise or destroy the skin in gruesome ways, opening the way to horrific infections that can easily kill you.
This summary, "sending the officer to the hospital with burn injuries," doesn't tell us whether he's still there. It doesn't say whether his trip was to get a quick lookover to make sure it was nothing serious--kinda doubtful, considering the charge)--or deep scarring, organ damage, etc., or similar danger to life.
"Makeshift flamethrower," to me, doesn't say "harmless prank that went a bit too far." But I guess we'll hear.