CATSKILL, N.Y. — A New York man has died after police used a Taser to subdue him and he burst into flames. ABC News reported that the 29-year-old man walked into the Catskill Village Police Department on October 30th and got into a confrontation with officers. Chief Dave Darling confirmed to the Times Union of Albany newspaper that officers deployed a Taser to subdue the man, who had just doused himself with hand sanitizer. The man burst into flames after the Taser was used.
Darling said the officers were familiar with the man and they “were afraid he was going to hurt himself, and that’s what started it.”
Darling described the situation as “horrible” and said it was under investigation by the Greene County district attorney’s office.
Jason Jones has been identified by local sources as the subject. He died Wednesday, 47 days after being taken to Westchester Medical Center’s Trauma and Burn Center, where he was initially listed in grave condition.
Kevin A. Luibrand, an attorney for the man’s family, declined to discuss details but said he had asked the police to preserve all recordings and written materials related to the encounter.
The Catskill Village Police Department do not have video cameras in the police building and officers era do not have body cameras.
The New York Attorney General’s Office is investigating the incident.
