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In the early hours of Tuesday, October 13, an Arkansas man caught fire in the middle of a police chase. The fire was quickly put out, but not before the man sustained burns and injuries.
A shocking video of the incident was obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, which quickly went viral online. The motorcyclist, identified as Christopher Gaylor, reportedly refused to stop when he was pulled over by police in Arkansas's capital, Little Rock. Instead, he sped off, with police officers giving him a chase. At one point, he ditched his motorcycle and took off on foot.
At this point, an Arkansas state trooper tased him. Gaylor, however, was carrying a gasoline-filled backpack, which the state trooper was unaware of. According to police, as soon as the taser was fired, the backpack exploded, engulfing the fugitive in flames. Officers can be heard screaming, "he is on fire," before they run to get a fire extinguisher. Gaylor can be seen rolling around on the ground, trying to put out the flames.
Christopher Gaylor had to be hospitalized and is presently receiving treatment.
Trigger warning: The following video is graphic in nature. The viewer's discretion is advised.
What happened to Christopher Gaylor? Arkansas man faces long list of charges after being set on fire
At around 1:30 am on October 13, 38-year-old Christopher Gaylor was stopped along Asher Avenue near Pine Street in Little Rock by police for not having a license plate. Gaylor, however, refused to stop and tried to speed away.
According to police, he sped away at speeds reaching 100 mph. The state trooper said that the chase continued through Little Rock, on side streets, and on Interstates 630, 30 and 40. It even reached speeds of up to 120 miles per hour before Gaylor was stopped.
When he realized that the police had caught up to him, Christopher Gaylor ditched his motorcycle and started to run away on foot near a grassy area on Allen and Chandler streets. That was when he was tased and the can of gasoline in his backpack caught fire.
He was taken to the burn unit at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Two weeks later, the Arkansas man is still recovering from his injuries. According to authorities, he has been charged with felony fleeing, failure to register a vehicle, no liability insurance, driving with a suspended license, and reckless driving. The state troopers involved in the incident are not expected to face any disciplinary action.
