Man bursts into flames after being tasered by Police

BBC news is reporting that "a man in Western Australia was engulfed in flames when police officers fired a Taser stun gun at him."

The police used the Taser on Ronald Mitchell, 36, after he sniffed petrol and began behaving erratically. After arriving on the scene to respond to the complaint of Mitchell's behavior, the police were soon forced into action when the intoxicated man rushed towards them aggressively.

Not knowing that he had been sniffing petrol, they used the Taser, leaving him hospitalized in critical condition with third degree burns.

To add further insult to injury - literally - Michell was charged with assault to prevent arrest and possession of a sniffing substance. Sucks to be him.

Petrol?! This is a truly bizarre and, I dare say, comical story. This man has paid a very high price, for going to that extreme (sniffing petrol) to get a high, and sadly for him, it gets worse, because he is set to face charges for his behavior.

I'm not 100% sure about the relevance of what was said by Dennis Eggington, the Chief Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia. Eggington called for an urgent review of Taser use, because Aboriginal people, he said, were often in poor health which made them particularly vulnerable to stun weapons and electric shock.

I can't hate on him for trying to seize a moment.... But I just don't see why his quotes were published in a story which involves a man who pretty much caused his own detriment. Whether he is an Aborigine or not, Mitchell's vulnerability to the stun gun had nothing to do with what Eggington stated. Eggington's input would have been great, IF Mr. Mitchell's injuries weren't partially self-inflicted.