Coppers Taser perp – he bursts into flames

Published on July 21st, 2009

Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan says the Taser was the best choice

A man in Western Australia was engulfed in flames when police officers fired a Taser stun gun at him.

Police say they used the Taser on Ronald Mitchell, 36, when he ran at them carrying a container of petrol and a cigarette lighter.

They said that Mr Mitchell, who lives in a remote Aboriginal community, had been sniffing petrol. They suggested the cigarette lighter started the fire.

Mr Mitchell is in a critical condition in hospital with third degree burns.

The Police Commissioner told reporters: “The only other choice they would have had is to use a police-issue firearm, and the consequences would almost certainly have been far more grave.”

I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?

30 users responded in " Coppers Taser perp – he bursts into flames "

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# 1 Olo Baggins of Bywater said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:02 am

Sparks and gasoline vapors…huh, who’da thunk it?

# 2 Somebody_Else said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:06 am

Sounds like that cop really lit up his day.

# 3 xencon said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:10 am

should have just shot him, he could have killed them

# 4 ridin the short bus down under said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:13 am

Is it illeagle to sniff petrol in Austrailia?.. Somehow I trust the Judgement of the cops in Oz more than the Cops is America. But They could not have simply subdued the man with another means?.. A Smart man, in uniform or not would have stepped abck or even run to creat distance beteween himself and the offender. The come up with another means. .. Ahh k lets Taze em’ Johnny and see what happens, I need to be home for Tea..Sheila’s awaitin ..mate.. oops Krikiey looks like paper work now Mate!.. Funny they dont say the Lighter was Lit..

# 5 jbenson2 said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:16 am

Eideard says “I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?”

So, he thinks that a policeman should have a sitdown quiet discussion when a madman charges with the equivalent of a firebomb. Sounds like something Obama will come up with.

# 6 moss said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:26 am

It takes a dedicated neocon to turn a news article about cops and tazers into his daily Obama-hate.

JB – are you too young to remember when cops carried nightsticks or batons? Are the cops in your community so pantywaist they need a gun or a tazer to subdue a stoner? Or is it just your own wuss-requirement?

# 7 jbellies said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:48 am

Two other approaches would be to ask the man to stop walking towards them. Failing that, to walk away from the man.

In extremis, my vote is the firehose. But there’s a drought in Oz.

They were probably afraid he’d get wet and catch a winter chill.

# 8 Daniel said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:50 am

You attack me with a lighter and can full of gas and I’m not bothering with a taser.

# 9 GigG said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:52 am

“Police say they used the Taser on Ronald Mitchell, 36, when he ran at them carrying a container of petrol and a cigarette lighter.”

Should have shot him.

# 10 pun the librarian said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:53 am

Personally, I don’t think ozzie cops are so wuss that subduing a loony with batons is out of the question. But subduing a guy with a baton while both of you are on fire might be beyond the call of duty.

And even if he had, Eideard would have just written “Cop beats man with burning baton, killing both”.

# 11 jccalhoun said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:00 am

i’ve got a friend who is a small town cop and even he thinks tasers are stupid. He says they make cops more likely to use them thinking they are a magic cure all when if they didn’t have them the cops would wait longer before using force.

# 12 jbenson2 said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:14 am

#6 Moss suggests the police use a nightstick to subdue a charging menace waving a firebomb. The hell with potential 3rd degree burns to the officer. After all, the police are paid to take the abuse, right?

I guess Moss is too young to remember how useless those nightsticks were back in 1968 during the Democratic National Convention.

Uhhh, remind me… what did that wusss, Mayor Daley, do when he found out the nightsticks weren’t working?

Mayor Daley had to issue shoot-to-kill orders. But I guess you are just naive enough to think he was a pantywaist, too.

# 13 keaneo said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:22 am

I still have my Uncle’s hickory nightstick in the closet. Over the decades he was on the NYPD he never fired his gun. But, he went through 5 or 6 billy-clubs as they used to call them.

I guess today’s high-tech heroes require more firepower to protect suburban wimps.

# 14 Buzz said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:22 am

Someday they’re going to taser a guy who just tried to commit suicide by downing a bottle of nitro pills. “A city block of Milwaukee was leveled this afternoon by a mysterious…”

# 15 Benjamin said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:29 am

This is a case of who has the most dangerous weapon: a flaming jar of gasoline or a taser. The perp only lost this round because a flaming jar of gasoline is so hard to control. However, the cop should have thought that shooting electricity at a guy holding a flaming jar of gas was a bad idea and shot him with his service revolver.

The cop did put the guy out while dodging rocks thrown by crazy people.

# 16 brm said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:32 am

I’d rather be shot than burned to death. Srsly.

# 17 be thinkin said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:36 am

“So, he thinks that a policeman should have a sitdown quiet discussion when a madman charges with the equivalent of a firebomb. Sounds like something Obama will come up with.”

Obama? Quite kid, grownups are talking.

# 18 RTaylor said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:58 am

To use nightstick, ASP, or kuhbotan you are in hand to hand combat range. Bad things can happen in close contact. Holsters has safety devices to prevent grabbing the weapon, but if the aggressor knows about it, they can defeat it. Also there’s strict guideline where you can strike with a baton, aimed at pressure points. A hard strike across the nose can be deadly. Remember the cops usually only go through combat training once a year for a few hours.

# 19 breeai said, on July 21st, 2009 at 12:01 pm

fire

# 20 deowll said, on July 21st, 2009 at 12:04 pm

“Police say they used the Taser on Ronald Mitchell, 36, when he ran at them carrying a container of petrol and a cigarette lighter.”

“I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?”

The poster is welcome to wrestle him to the ground and subdue him. Other, saner, people are going to keep their distance.

# 21 soundwash said, on July 21st, 2009 at 1:00 pm

see, now THAT is something we need a video clip of.

I’m thinking maybe basic physics should be
course police should be made to take as well.

how about this:

-new rule, for every 4 “perps” a cop tasers, he must be tasered twice–for 30seconds each time, or lose a months pay.

maybe that will slow down the free for all going on with law enforcement & tasers
these days.

lets just hope nobody in congress ever gets
it in their head that maybe law enforcement should use hand held microwave ADS guns instead..because you know, they’re “safer”

-2

# 22 Roger said, on July 21st, 2009 at 1:18 pm

Was the cop whistling the Doors?

# 23 The0ne said, on July 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pm

“I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?”

When you’re lazy and fat there aren’t many things you can do to defend yourself. You can’t chase them, you can’t kung-fu them, you probably can’t even aim the taser and gun properly to hit the person, but they are the easiest and requires the most minimal amount of energy to do.

# 24 Mr. Fusion said, on July 21st, 2009 at 7:44 pm

While the police reaction is fairly lazy, I am more amazed that Benson once again decides to blame Obama for what happened in Australia.

Benson, you’re an idiot AND a troll. Not to mention you really should see a dentist, your breath stinks. Either is it a serious gum infection or you spew to much shit.

# 25 Hugh Ripper said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:30 pm

Here in Victoria, the police shoot you with real guns then cover it up. Those WA cops are just plain soft.

# 26 RS said, on July 21st, 2009 at 10:35 pm

If my parents taught me one thing its never get confrontational with somebody armed with a taser while your holding a can of gasoline. At least drop the can before you advance.

# 27 ECA said, on July 21st, 2009 at 11:03 pm

26, OR THROW the gas at the cop..

# 28 Number6 said, on July 22nd, 2009 at 2:13 am

There is one other option that never seems to occur to cops. Leave the guy alone.

All to often they interfere in situations where no one it in danger or being threatened and turn them into situations where people are hurt. And of course it’s always the fault of the people they whose lives they were budding into.

If they had left the man to sniff his gas in peace this wouldn’t have happened.

# 29 BdgBill said, on July 22nd, 2009 at 5:29 am

ran at them carrying a container of petrol and a cigarette lighter

The cop should be given a medal for bravery for resisting the urge to put a bullet between this guys eyes.

I don’t see anything wrong with a society where, if you walk around threatening police officers with a painful death, you just may get messed up yourself.

# 30 gumchewr said, on July 22nd, 2009 at 5:37 am

“I hadn’t realized that police departments are down to only two choices when it comes to conflict with a suspect: taser – or shoot ‘em?”

Couple these two options with a “need for speed” in conflict resolution and it’s a recipe for tragedy. Why is it that a man with a knife is considered so dangerous that he needs to be shot and killed rather than spending whatever amount of time it takes to get the advantage and disarm him?

I believe today’s policeman is psychologically predisposed to resorting to violence during conflict resolution. He has a gun and by god he’s going to use it!

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