Arizona Man Says Wildlife Officer’s Taser Set Him on Fire Next to Gas Pump

An Arizona man is speaking out after a U.S. Fish and Wildlife officer allegedly used a Taser near a gas pump, briefly igniting flames that left him with burns and lingering nerve damage.

Clarence "Chuck" Coyl said the incident unfolded on July 18 at a gas station on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. He told AZ Family and 12 News that an officer had accused him and a friend of trespassing when they went to fish at the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge. After they left, they encountered who Coyl believes was the same officer at the gas station.

The encounter was captured on two videos: one shot by Coyl and another, shared by civil rights attorney Ben Crump, that appears to have been recorded by a bystander from a few feet away.

In Coyl's recording, an officer is seen holding a Taser near the person filming. The man asks, "What am I being arrested for?" The officer responds, "You are not cooperating for having committed a ... crime." The man begins to say, "A misdemeanor? A misdemeanor? It's a ten-dollar—" before the sound of the Taser crackles across the video. The recording device drops, and seconds later a bright orange glow fills the frame as someone screams.

The second video, posted by Crump, shows an officer standing beside a pickup truck at the fuel pump. The officer fires a Taser at a man in the narrow gap between the truck and the pump, and flames immediately shoot out from under the vehicle. The man falls to the ground, screaming, then emerges from behind the truck before the officer orders him down and runs back toward the fire.

In a social media post, Crump said the encounter happened after Coyl and a friend "had already left a nearby wildlife refuge where they had been told they could not fish," a sequence that matches the account Coyl gave local outlets. Coyl told 12 News he suffered first- and second-degree burns and nerve damage to two fingers as a result.

The footage quickly drew attention in part because of where the Taser was deployed. Fuel pumps are surrounded by vapors that can catch fire, and law enforcement use-of-force policies often factor in environmental hazards when deciding whether to deploy a Taser. The video has renewed questions about how officers judge those risks during routine encounters.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided a statement to 12 News but declined to discuss the case further. "We can confirm that our officer deployed a Taser during this incident. We thoroughly review every Taser deployment and don't have any additional comment at this time," the statement said. "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service remains committed to public safety and to ensuring visitors can safely enjoy recreation on refuge lands in the Havasu area."

Coyl has not been charged in connection with the officer's allegations, according to the local outlets. He has said he intends to pursue legal action against the officer.