Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Man Doused In Hand Sanitizer Bursts Into Flames Due To Police Taser
https://www.iflscience.com ^ | NOVEMBER 9, 2021 | Tom Hale

Posted on 11/09/2021 1:01:29 PM PST by Red Badger

A man reportedly burst into flames as police officers stunned him with a Taser just after he’d doused himself in hand sanitizer, and is now recovering in a burn ward. While this unlikely event is an exceptionally rare accident, it’s not the first time that an electroshock weapon and a flammable liquid have sparked a fire.

The incident occurred when Jason Jones, aged 29, got into a confrontation with officers at the Catskill police station in New York State, the Times Union of Albany reported. Details are thin, but Jones reportedly appeared intoxicated and poured hand sanitizer on himself. In an attempt to subdue him, an officer deployed a Taser, and Jones burst into flames.

Jones is reportedly in a "grave" condition in a burn unit in Syracuse. The police chief confirmed the incident occured, describing it as "horrible," and said it is under investigation by the Greene County district attorney's office.

A fire just needs three elements to burn: oxygen, fuel, and heat. In this recent scenario, the Taser spark provided the heat needed to complete the combustion, while the alcohol acted as a fuel and the air served as the oxidizing agent. By and large, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are perfectly safe and do not pose a fire risk unless they make contact with a direct spark.

There are a handful of documented instances where Tasers have ignited flammable materials, resulting in injuries and even fatalities. A 2017 study by US researchers identified six cases of fatal burns caused by electroshock weapons and four cases of major non-fatal burns out of 3 million uses. A number of moderate and minor burns from electric weapons were also noted. These namely occurred when someone was being arrested with a cigarette lighter in their pocket or they were close to a flammable liquid, such as petrol or recreational inhalants.

Back in 2010, Mythbusters tested out this theory, inspired by an episode of the crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation in which a man burst into flames in police custody after being attacked with a stun gun and pepper spray. Not all of the pepper sprays caused combustion when combined with a stun gun, but a few did – causing the test dummy to light up like a match stick – because of flammable propellant or solvent found in the spray.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: donutwatch; taser
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

1 posted on 11/09/2021 1:01:32 PM PST by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

While this unlikely event is an exceptionally rare accident...

...like the adverse vaxx reactions which seem to be affecting an extraordinary number of athletes.


2 posted on 11/09/2021 1:12:32 PM PST by Flick Lives (The future is a quiet world)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Hand sanitizer is actually a very effective fuel for fire.

It won’t melt steel beams but it will get a fire going if you are lost in the woods somewhere and need just that extra to get kindling going.

It can also be used to start a house fire if you do dumb things with it.


3 posted on 11/09/2021 1:18:02 PM PST by Bayard
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I hope he makes a full recovery, and receives a fair trial. And I thank him for the laugh I got from the headline.


4 posted on 11/09/2021 1:18:38 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

This should be the capital punishment for some crimes. Hand sanitizer is cheap.


5 posted on 11/09/2021 1:19:34 PM PST by fwdude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I can just imagine the using one anywhere near Biden could ignite exotic gasses.


6 posted on 11/09/2021 1:20:31 PM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bayard

You should look up the carsandwater YouTube channel, home of the Red Hot Nickel Ball. He destroys a lot of things with it, and I’m sure hand sanitizer is in there somewhere.


7 posted on 11/09/2021 1:21:07 PM PST by fwdude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Bayard

You should look up the carsandwater YouTube channel, home of the Red Hot Nickel Ball. He destroys a lot of things with it, and I’m sure hand sanitizer is in there somewhere.


8 posted on 11/09/2021 1:21:07 PM PST by fwdude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Bayard

You should look up the carsandwater YouTube channel, home of the Red Hot Nickel Ball. He destroys a lot of things with it, and I’m sure hand sanitizer is in there somewhere.


9 posted on 11/09/2021 1:21:08 PM PST by fwdude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Man this headline made me chuckle. Imagine being so afraid of covid that you regularly bathe yourself in hand sanitizer, to the point of being combustible. I might be burned alive, but at least covid’s not getting me!


10 posted on 11/09/2021 1:23:04 PM PST by walkingdead (We are sacrificing American youth's future on the altar of our own fear. And it is a travesty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

11 posted on 11/09/2021 1:23:35 PM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

A better more truthful headline would be “man tased by police bursts into flames due to being doused with hand sanitizer.


12 posted on 11/09/2021 1:25:14 PM PST by Blueflag (Res ipsa loquitur: ad ferre non, velit esse sine defensione)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Oldeconomybuyer

I suspect a big time law suit coming against the police. I’ll bet there is a long line of ambulance chasers lined up outside his hospital room.


13 posted on 11/09/2021 1:58:47 PM PST by antidemoncrat (somRead more at: https://economicti Astronomers see white dwarf 'switch on and off' for first time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I hope the Lord forgives me, but I laughed my ass off when I read this story!


14 posted on 11/09/2021 2:10:05 PM PST by Maskot (Put every dem/lib in prison........like yesterday!!! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Maskot

You Laugh, You Lose


15 posted on 11/09/2021 2:18:16 PM PST by madison10 (Congratulations, Virginia! )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Investigators have determined it was a clean shot.


16 posted on 11/09/2021 2:18:35 PM PST by dblshot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

No, he burst into flames due to being covered in hand sanitizer.


17 posted on 11/09/2021 2:25:50 PM PST by Smellin Salt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Smellin Salt

...true,but....but...but...was he wearing his mask...??!!


18 posted on 11/09/2021 2:29:53 PM PST by TokarevM57
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Wow, what a loaded headline!

Main question is: why is the dude doused in sanitizer?

Really scared of COVID? Gone insane over COVID hysteria!


19 posted on 11/09/2021 2:38:31 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Bayard
He wanted his "15 Minutes of Fame"....or "Flame"...he got it

See the source image

20 posted on 11/09/2021 3:18:04 PM PST by guest7
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson