Video: Man’s Clothes Catch Fire After Being Stunned By ‘Taser-Like’ Device

In an incident that was captured by a passerby Saturday, a Philadelphia man’s clothes caught fire after a security guard stunned him with a “Taser-Like” device.

The footage was filmed by witness Pat Tackney, and posted on Twitter. In the short clip, two men are seen confronting a third man outside Jim’s Steaks, a local restaurant, in South Street, Philadelphia. As the third man tried to flee the spot, one of the other two men pulled out a device that appeared to be a taser and shot the man. As soon as the electric wires came in contact with man’s clothes, they burst into flames.

The man fell down on the street and started screaming as a number of onlookers could be heard gasping in horror. “Oh my God,” a woman was heard saying in the background. As Tackney continued to record, the flames were extinguished in the next few seconds. The clip finally concluded with the two security men approaching the man who was writhing in pain on the street.

Although not much details were available regarding the incident, Ken Silver, the restaurant’s president, confirmed that the incident did take place and that it was also captured in the security cameras outside the eatery.

“We are currently reviewing the after-store-hours incident that occurred outside of Jim’s South St. early morning on Feb. 2, 2019,” Silver told Philadelphia Enquirer in a statement. “We are and will continue to cooperate fully with the Philadelphia Police Department as needed. We take the safety of our customers and employees very seriously and work dutifully to safeguard their well-being. In doing so we will continue operate with the highest standards as a local merchant, employer and neighbor.”

A police department spokesperson said Saturday that the incident was not reported to them. It was also not clear if the two security guards seen confronting the man worked for Jim’s Steaks.

Although the device that was used to stun the victim in this case is not known, classic tasers are capable of starting a fire at the point of contact, the U.K.’s Home Office wrote in a 2001 report.

The report said there was a “serious risk of ignition if the taser is fired at a target that has flammable solvent on their clothing. This risk will extend to all flammable environments, for instance a petrol station.”

The Associated Press reported in 2017 that there were 15 cases in the past where people had caught fire upon being stunned with a taser. One of them had died.