Arlington, Texas Police tasered a man who had doused himself with gasoline and threatened to light himself on fire. He had something in his hand that they believed was a lighter.

There are two things in play here that you will never find out from the MSM. One is that it is possible to have too much gasoline, such that it won’t ignite if you don’t believe me ask the fire department. Second is Title Nine of the Texas Penal Code:

 Sec. 9.34. PROTECTION OF LIFE OR HEALTH.

(a) A person is justified in using force, but not deadly
force, against another when and to the degree he reasonably believes the force
is immediately necessary to prevent the other from committing suicide or inflicting serious bodily injury to himself.

(b) A person is justified in using both force and deadly
force against another when and to the degree, he reasonably believes the force
or deadly force is immediately necessary to preserve the other’s life in an
emergency.

Police may use deadly force under 9.34(b) to preserve another’s life. Use of a Taser is not considered deadly force. Using a Taser in an explosive, volatile atmosphere may cross the line. Assuming the police were aware that a fire might result but that consideration was outweighed by the desirability of immediate action to control the situation, then the police were not negligent.

What consideration might that be? I am assuming his antics did not escape notice. Assuming he did have a lighter, then the decision of when and where to fire the lighter was the wacko’s alone. At any moment, the wacko could have jumped up and run to the crowd. If the police were just as surprised as the guy doing the roman candle imitation, then they have problems.

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