(LITTLE ROCK, AK)– A man is recovering in a hospital after a police taser caused him to go up in flames.
The incident occurred on Oct. 13 around 1:20 a.m. along Asher Avenue.
Authorities say they noticed 38-year-old Christopher Gaylor driving a motorcycle with no license plate.
A trooper tried to initiate a traffic stop, however, Gaylor increased his speed and began ignoring traffic stop signs and lights along the way.
Gaylor led troopers toward Interstate 30 where he eventually jumped from the motorcycle near a residence along Chandler Street and began running on foot.
A trooper chased after Gaylor before deploying his taser. Suddenly Gaylor went up in flames.
Authorities later learned that Gaylor was carrying one gallon of gasoline in his backpack which ignited when it was struck by one of the barbs from the taser.
Gaylor remains hospitalized and is expected to recover.
He faces charges of felony fleeing, failure to register a vehicle, having no liability insurance, driving with a suspended license, and reckless driving.
Arkansas State Police public information officer Bill Sadler told reporters that no internal investigation will be conducted:
“Before the electronic control device (TASER) was deployed, Mr. Gaylor could have chosen at any moment during the vehicular pursuit, or in the seconds after he abandoned the motorcycle to comply with the traffic stop or orders to stop while on foot,” Sadler said.