Shocking video shows biker’s backpack bursting into flames after being tased by cop following high-speed chase
Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised.
LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: A dashcam video shows a motorcyclist’s backpack bursting into flames when he got tased by an Arkansas State trooper on October 13, 2022, at around 1.18 am. As per the reports, the backpack had a gallon of gasoline inside that led to the fire.
According to NBC, motorcyclist Christopher Gaylor, 38, was reportedly told to pull over by an Arkansas state trooper for not having a license plate on his motorcycle in the early morning hours of October 13. However, he declined to pull over and sped away from the officer at speeds approaching 100 mph, ignoring traffic stop signs and lights along the way, state police said. The cops added that he proceeded "towards Interstate 30 where a second state trooper encountered the motorcyclist," according to ABC. One trooper reportedly tried to use a taser to apprehend him and that’s when Gaylor’s backpack burst into flames
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MAN BURSTS INTO FLAMES AFTER PURSUIT: Arkansas State Police say troopers used a stun gun on a man after a motorcycle pursuit. Police say the driver had a can of gasoline in his backpack. ASP says man is expected to survive.
— Mitchell McCoy (@MitchellMcCoy) October 21, 2022
⚠️ WARNING: VIDEO MAY BE DISTURBING FOR SOME ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/srMszS3bx1
A video provided to 40/29 by Arkansas State Police shows troopers screaming “he’s on fire,” and then using a fire extinguisher to stop the flames. According to the statement from the state police, the officers provided medical assistance while an ambulance was called to the scene. As per the statement by the cops, “An investigation has since revealed Gaylor was carrying approximately 1 gallon of gasoline in a backpack."
At present, Gaylor is in the hospital and is expected to be doing fine. No Arkansas State Police personnel are under investigation related to the incident, or are under administrative leave or disciplined, state spokesperson Bill Sadler said, as per ABC. However, Gaylor now faces charges of felony fleeing, failure to register a vehicle, no liability insurance, driving with a suspended license, and reckless driving.
US police killed over 600 people in traffic stops since 2017
According to The Guardian report on April 2022, cops have killed more than 600 people in the US during traffic stops since 2017, a review of national police violence data showed, with reform advocates calling for police to play less of a role or no role at all in traffic law enforcement.
Encounters with police during traffic stops, including minor infractions, disproportionately harm people of color, according to data collected by Mapping Police Violence, a non-profit research group that argues that armed police should not be involved in many of these cases.
Commenting on it, Samuel Sinyangwe, a data scientist and policy analyst who founded Mapping Police Violence, said, "We often see the most extreme examples on the news, but this is something that happens so frequently."
There were 97 deadly traffic stops in 2017, 114 in 2018, 117 in 2019, 119 in 2020, 117 in 2021, and 25 so far in 2022 as of April, according to the data, reports The Guardian.