Legal Decision: Police Officers Not Charged in New York Stun Gun Incident After a Man Set Himself On Fire

In upstate New York, police officers won't be facing criminal charges in connection with the tragic incident where a man set himself on fire after being shot with a stun gun, according to the state attorney general's office. The victim, 29-year-old Jason Jones, was taken off life support in December 2021 after spending six weeks in intensive care following the incident at the Catskill police station.

Attorney General Letitia James' office has issued a report on Jason Jones' death and the actions of the officers involved. The report concludes that it wouldn't be possible for a prosecutor to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officers committed crimes. It also recommends providing police officers with new training on the safe use of stun guns.

According to a statement from James' office, the officers attempted to subdue Mr. Jones using a non-lethal device to transport him to the hospital, believing he posed a threat to himself or others. The investigation revealed that their training didn't caution against using a Taser around hand sanitizer.

However, Jones' family disputes the report's findings and has an ongoing lawsuit against the town of Catskill and three officers, as confirmed by their attorney.

On October 29, 2021, the Catskill police responded to a local bar due to a 911 call about an unruly patron. When the officers arrived, they escorted Jones outside, but he ran to the police station. Jones continued to act unruly in the police station's lobby, causing a disturbance, and the officers attempted to calm him down. He then took alcohol-based hand sanitizer from the lobby and applied it to his head and upper body.

According to James' office, the officers determined that Jones could potentially harm himself or others and decided to take him into custody. As a result, one officer deployed a stun gun, which led to Jones' head and upper body catching fire for approximately 25 seconds. The officers were surprised and rushed to find a fire extinguisher, as stated in the report.

Graphic video footage shows Jones extinguishing the flames himself before being taken to the hospital.

Kevin Luibrand, the family's attorney, expressed the family's disappointment with the report's conclusions. He mentioned that Jones' father was upset, and Jones' mother, who passed away from natural causes, had been deeply affected by the lengthy investigation. 

Luibrand and the family believe that in court, they can demonstrate that the officers committed crimes, and they find inconsistencies between the report and the video evidence. Luibrand specifically disagreed with the report's claim that there was a discussion among the officers about taking Jones into custody before using the stun gun, asserting that it was a reactive and unnecessary action.

[SOURCE]