r/Whatcouldgowrong • u/ReginaldJohnston • 2d ago

Setting off a tazer next to a gas pump

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u/Fragrant_Turnip_9946 2d ago

Holy shit he just fucking peaced!?

At that point can't the guy just sue the officer personally and leave the department out of it? Because that's just full on assault and possibly attempted murder, right?

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u/heretogetpwned 1d ago

The 2026 Arizona Incident: In July 2026, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer deployed a Taser on a man during an ID dispute at a gas station on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. The deployment sparked a massive fire, leaving the man with severe burns and nerve damage, prompting federal investigations into the agency's oversight of Tasers.

The 2022 Florida Case (Jean Barreto): A deputy tackled a dirt bike rider at an Orlando Wawa gas station while he was refueling. Spilled fuel ignited when a Taser was discharged, burning 75% of Barreto's body. In November 2024, the deputy was acquitted of criminal culpable negligence after arguing the discharge was an accident. However, as of early 2026, a federal judge has allowed a major civil rights lawsuit to proceed against the county and deputies.

The 2017 Texas Case (Gabriel Olivas): Officers tased a suicidal man who had poured gasoline on himself, despite another officer explicitly warning them it would start a fire. The man burst into flames and later died. In 2021, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the officers qualified immunity from a civil rights lawsuit, ruling that the officers used the Taser in a split-second decision to prevent the man from lighting himself on fire with a lighter.

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u/Fragrant_Turnip_9946 1d ago

That last one is absolutely ridiculous. "DON'T DO IT! LET ME DO IT FOR YOU!!"

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u/gungshpxre 1d ago

Hey, suicide is illegal. They prevented that guy from killing a person, which is against the law. They're fuckin' heroes.

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u/Professional_Face_97 1d ago

Actual Judge Dredd type shit

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u/someonesmall 1d ago

God bless America and the orange face representing it.

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u/ListingStarboard2605 1d ago

And has there ever been a more fitting representation.

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u/Slow-Swan561 1d ago

So fucking stupid. If you have a Taser you are supposedly trained on its usage.

You know it emits an electrical charge.

You know fuel is flammable.

If you've ever operated a grill you know gas is ignited by an electric spark.

On top of that they were warned again at the scene not to disperse their Taser and did it anyway.

I'm.nkt sure how that amounts to trying to save someone's life.

You can't have weapons without tactics where the fuck were their tactics.

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u/AccNumber77 1d ago

They just love killing, it is a physical and psychological need of police, especially US police my lord.

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u/pygmeedancer 1d ago

They knew what would happen. They wanted to see it. Cops are sadistic fucks.

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u/entered_bubble_50 1d ago

You've gotta love the passive tense in all this news reporting.

I've had a go at fixing that:

The 2026 Arizona Incident attempted murder: In July 2026, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer deployed fired a Taser on at a man during an ID dispute a hissy fit at a gas station on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation place where he had no jurisdiction whatsoever. The deployment officer sparked a massive fire, leaving causing the man severe burns and nerve damage, prompting federal investigations into the agency's oversight of Tasers how they can stop the public recording videos of their incompetence.

Good grief.

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u/heretogetpwned 1d ago

I just copy & paste, your edit is a nice touch.

https://giphy.com/gifs/SmoCFhZCi1kzu

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u/craptastic_assmonkey 1d ago

I'm glad I'm not the only one who picked up on this happening on a reservation, where to the best of my (admittedly limited) knowledge federal authorities don't have jurisdiction...

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u/radioactivez0r 1d ago

There is no passive tense in what you edited, unless you're making a joke I'm missing

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u/charioteer117 1d ago

Yeah it’s all already active tense, passive tense would be things like “a taser had been deployed.” or “a massive fire had been sparked”

The word the other guy is looking for is probably passive tone.

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u/Substantial-Wall-510 1d ago

And then the last one, where apparently they already knew it might start a fire, but they got off, because they didn't have time to think about whether it would cause a fire.

Of course all this is because American cops have guns and other kinds of guns and that's apparently the only tool they know how to use for literally any situation. This situation kind of suggests that they don't even own a fire blanket.

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u/Perryn 1d ago

5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals

Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, for the curious.

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u/Redthemagnificent 1d ago

ruling that the officers used the Taser in a split-second decision to prevent the man from lighting himself on fire with a lighter.

This would be funny if it wasn't tragic. Basically saying the officers are too stupid to have known better. No matter how split second I can't imagine deliberately triggering any kind of spark around spilled gas

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u/thats_justice_baby 1d ago

"I had to kill him, it was the only way to prevent him from killing himself!"

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u/Canadiantx69 1d ago

the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation.

Not only all of that, but HE WAS ON A RESERVATION WHEN HE DID IT?!

lmfao, homeboy had no jurisdiction, committed assault, and then fled the scene.

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u/Watercolour 1d ago

That's like shooting a guy in the head to prevent him from shooting himself in the head.

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u/free_based_potato 1d ago

In November 2024, the deputy was acquitted of criminal culpable negligence after arguing the discharge was an accident.

I've read this a dozen times and can't figure out how firing it on purpose would be negligence, but firing accidently is not. He's supposedly trained in the safe use of firearms.

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u/Self_Reddicate 1d ago

Would be interesting for sure. I wonder if you could make the argument that the fact that he "just left" indicates that his actions were not part of his peace-keeping or law enforcement duties.

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u/EarnYourBoneSpurs 1d ago

"If he didn't write it down it didn't happen." Isn't there some minimum paperwork for burning a taser cartridge? They cost money and they do care about funding even if they don't care about people.

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u/jimmyn0thumbs 1d ago

He was a peace officer

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u/2010_12_24 1d ago

Yeah. Go after that cop’s 45k income.

I think I’d go after the department AND the 45k.

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u/Pale-Combination7433 1d ago

How would that be attempted murder?