Deputies in Oklahoma City were met with a fiery confrontation when a man allegedly used a flamethrower while they attempted to serve an eviction notice, according to body-camera video released by the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office.
The incident occurred on August 11 when deputies arrived at an apartment to serve an eviction order. After gaining entry, officers found the tenant, identified as Darron Dunn, 61, in a bedroom. According to the incident report, Dunn sprayed an aerosol can towards a deputy and a Housing Authority security officer and then ignited it, creating a bright flash of fire.
Deputies reported feeling extreme heat from the flames, which they said traveled approximately 15 feet in their direction. As officers retreated, they observed a car battery with attached wires near Dunn and another wired device near the front door.
"He’s got it hooked up to the battery!" one officer is heard saying in the video. Another exclaimed, "Everybody out! Improvised device! Get out!"
The device, described in the incident report, was constructed from aerosol cans taped together with exposed wires connected to a car battery. The sheriff's office tactical team and bomb squad responded to the scene.
Officers subsequently disabled the wires and safely removed Dunn from the apartment in his electric wheelchair. Bomb technicians determined the wired aerosol-can device was unlikely to explode as configured, though they noted it could have sparked or heated up if the wires touched the battery terminals.
Dunn was taken to a VA hospital due to medical issues and stress before being admitted to a mental hospital, according to the report. He faces charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possessing, using, manufacturing, or threatening to use an incendiary device or explosives, and obstructing an officer.
A spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office noted that eviction calls can be highly emotional, leading to volatile reactions. The office recalled a similar eviction-related incident four years prior, and another about a year ago where a man allegedly attempted to set a deputy on fire before setting himself ablaze and dying.