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OKLAHOMA CITY (KOCO) — Bodycam video shows the moments a man ignited a makeshift flamethrower while law enforcement served an eviction notice at an Oklahoma City apartment.
An incident report from the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office states that deputies served an eviction order shortly before 11:55 a.m. on Aug. 11 at an apartment on South Harvey Avenue. After the person living in the apartment didn’t let deputies in, Housing Authority staff unlocked the door but still couldn’t get it open.
The report states that Housing Authority security eventually kicked in the door, but it wouldn’t fully open. Video shows that an object was blocking the door from the inside, preventing it from opening completely.
Deputies pushed the object out of the way and went into the cluttered apartment. They saw the man who was being evicted sitting in the bedroom.
According to the incident report, the suspect sprayed an aerosol at law enforcement and lit it on fire, “creating an improvised flamethrower.” Bodycam video shows a large flame coming out of the bedroom and toward law enforcement.
Deputies told the suspect to put down the device, but he didn’t comply. Someone in the background can be heard saying that there appeared to be an improvised explosive device inside the apartment.
Deputies found a car battery with wires hooked to it on a table in front of the suspect. The wires went from the car battery into the living room to a device by the front door.
Law enforcement evacuated the apartment, during which deputies saw that there were “two rows of different types of aerosol cans taped together with wires that went into it.”
Authorities evacuated the building and the bomb squad responded to the scene. The bomb squad disabled the device and removed it from the apartment.
The suspect was detained and taken to a nearby Veterans Affairs hospital due to medical issues and stress, according to the incident report. He was later placed in a mental hospital, and he faces out-of-custody charges, including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault, use of an incendiary device or explosives, and obstructing an officer.
KOCO 5 has chosen not to release the suspect’s name because formal charges have not been filed.
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