Homeless man bursts into flames after being Tasered by U.S. police



Daniel Wood burst into flames after police tried to subdue him with a Taser gun. He had been sniffing from an aerosol can

A homeless man caught fire after U.S. police shocked him with a Taser gun, it has been revealed.



Daniel Wood, 31, was allegedly sniffing gas from an aerosol can as he ran through traffic when he was chased by two officers in Lancaster, Ohio.

One officer caught Wood and got him on the ground, where Wood continued to resist, according to the police report.

Another officer shouted a warning, then zapped Wood with the Taser, the report said.

Wood immediately burst into flames that covered his torso.

The officers were forced to drop their weapons and beat out the flames.



Wood said: 'My complete right half of my upper body is burned.

'I have bandages from my wrist all the way up my arm and across my chest.'



He admitted he had been inhaling vapours from a chemical cleaner in an attempt to get 'high'.

Wood had been resisting arrest by attempting to bite the officers and lashing out with his feet.

In an attempt to subdue him police fired their Tasers which emit a charge of up to 50,000 volts.

Lancaster Police chief David Bailey said: 'Clearly, this is not the way we'd hoped to get started.

A demonstration of a Taser gun being used (file picture)



'But I'm glad the suspect is OK, and this gives us an opportunity to review how we will do things from this point.'

Chief Bailey said his officers acted appropriately given Wood's aggressive behaviour.

He said: 'There was no recognition on the part of these officers that this would be the result.



'They didn't know the vapour was present and would flash. It wasn't as if the suspect was doused in a chemical.'

Wood, who has been arrested more than 50 times, has been charged with resisting arrest, assaulting a police officer and abusing harmful intoxicants.