Graphic surveillance footage from the Catskill Police Department, NY, shows the moments an agitated man was struck by a taser, suddenly causing him to catch on fire.

On October 30th, 2021, 29-year-old Jason Jones, entered the Catskill Police Department and started a verbal altercation with three officers. During the altercation, Jones began stripping all of his clothes off and becoming aggressive toward the officers. As shown in the video, Jones exits and re-enters the screen, where he then picked up a large bottle of hand-sanitizer. Jones can be observed dousing himself in the hand-sanitizer, as the officers provided verbal commands to stop.

Still refusing to comply after nearly 30-minutes, one officer deployed a taser into Jones, striking him. Although the initial ignition of the flames appears off-screen, the officers faces show the sheer panic as Jones ignites from the combustion of the hand sanitizer and 50,000-volt taser. After realizing their efforts were unsuccessful to extinguish the fire, all three officers scatter from the front lobby, briefly leaving Jones by himself while still on fire.

Jones was later taken to a nearby medical facility, where he was being treated for his injuries; however he passed away on December 15th, 2021.

What are your thoughts on this incident? Do you believe the officers should have utilized different non-lethal measures to subdue Mr. Jones? For any of you former LEO guys and gals, are situations like this covered in academy training? Let us know in the comments below.