A motorcyclist in Arkansas is recovering this week after an encounter with local police cause a freak accident on the side of the road.
The biker is said to be expected to recover, but the incident is absolutely bizarre all the same.
An Arkansas motorcyclist was engulfed in a “fireball” and is recuperating in the hospital after a state trooper deployed a Taser and it hit a gallon of gasoline in his backpack, authorities said.
Christopher Gaylor, 38, was struck by the Taser after setting Arkansas troopers on a police chase after him in the early hours of Oct. 13 in Little Rock, state police said in a news release.
The chase started when Gaylor was spotted riding a motorcycle with no license plate around 1:20 a.m. along Asher Avenue in Little Rock.
A trooper tried to initiate a traffic stop, but Gaylor “refused to comply” and kept on driving, reaching speeds approaching 100 mph and ignoring traffic stop signs and lights along the way, state police said.
Gaylor had outstanding warrants, and ran from police. During a foot chase, an officer employed his taser in an attempt to subdue Gaylor, and then all Hell broke loose.
One trooper then deployed his Taser to stop Gaylor.
But as the barbs of the Taser struck the suspect, “a fireball engulfed Gaylor.”
The investigation revealed Gaylor was carrying one gallon of gasoline in his backpack, which was the accelerant that caused the fire.
Troopers extinguished the fire and provided medical assistance while awaiting an ambulance.
No officers are being considered for disciplinary actions on account of the incident, with authorities suggesting that Gaylor could have chosen at any time to end the chase under his own volition.
Video of the wild encounter can be seen below:
#Arkansas
*potentially disturbing*
Dashcam video (reportedly in Little Rock) from October 13th shows a pursuit suspect on a motorcycle fleeing from police on foot when a taser is used; igniting the suspect into a roaring fireball. They apparently had a jerrycan in their backpack. pic.twitter.com/hFqVqzMVLe— Shane B. Murphy (@shanermurph) October 21, 2022
