Oklahoma authorities investigate fire death case

LINDSAY, Okla. (AP) – Oklahoma authorities are investigating the death of a man who was hit by an officer’s Taser and caught on fire after allegedly dousing himself with gasoline and taking out a lighter.

McClain County Sheriff Don Hewett says that Norman police requested a welfare check Tuesday on a man who’d made comments about suicide.

Authorities, who were responding to a call of a man acting erratic, found the man about 2 miles northwest of Lindsay sitting inside a van with a container of gasoline.

Authorities say the man refused to step out of the vehicle and was disregarding the officers’ orders. He later came out of the vehicle with a lighter in his hand. He caught fire after a police officer deployed a Taser.

An investigation of the death is ongoing to determine what caused the fire.