A Manitowoc man who caught fire while being tasered by police during an arrest could face multiple charges.
Around 9:30 p.m. Friday, Manitowoc Police responded to a call of a naked man standing in the middle of 25th Street yelling he had a knife and making threats.
Newly released dashcam video shows officers approaching the 33-year-old man, who had a warrant out for his arrest in nearby Two Rivers. When they tried to put him in the squad car, he kicked officers.
Officers had to tase the man three times to get him under control, but during the second attempt, the man pulled out a lighter, investigators said.
The Taser allegedly punctured the lighter, sparking a fire that burned the man's chest and facial hair.
The man was taken to the hospital for treatment of his wounds before going to jail.
The officers followed protocol, Manitowoc Police said.
The man was allegedly standing in the middle of the street yelling that he had a knife.https://t.co/9bCLxx4tdP
— NBC26 News (@NBC26) July 18, 2017
"When they deploy a taser, nothing is perfect," said Det. Andrew Trilling with the Manitowoc Police Department. "So they continue to evaluate to see if the subject complies or not then they act accordingly."
One officer suffered minor injuries. The man did not have a weapon on him, but they did find a folding knife in the pocket of his pants on his porch nearby, police said.
Officers believe the man may have been under the influence at the time. He does have a history of drug and alcohol charges.
He's expected to appear in court Friday. NBC26 is choosing not to name the man until he's been formally charged.
