A routine fishing trip turned catastrophic for an Arizona man when a federal officer's use of a Taser at a gas station resulted in flames erupting beneath his vehicle, leaving him with serious injuries.
Clarence "Chuck" Coyl documented the July 16 encounter on video at a gas station located on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation. The footage shows a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer pointing a Taser at Coyl and demanding identification while he stood beside a fuel pump.
The confrontation escalated rapidly. When Coyl questioned what offense warranted arrest, the officer indicated he was not cooperating after committing a crime. Coyl responded by referencing a misdemeanor and appeared to mention a ten-dollar amount before the Taser was deployed, according to the video. Moments later, his phone dropped as flames ignited and his voice could be heard expressing pain.
According to Coyl's account, the incident began earlier that day at Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, where he and a companion had planned to fish. An officer accused the two men of trespassing and instructed them to leave the area, which they did. The same officer later approached Coyl at the gas station.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump subsequently shared additional video footage of the confrontation on social media. That angle captured the officer extending the Taser toward Coyl near his pickup truck and the fuel pump, followed by flames suddenly erupting beneath the vehicle.
Coyl sustained first and second-degree burns along with nerve damage to two fingers as a result of the incident. He has announced intentions to pursue legal action. Local media reports indicate no charges have been filed against him in connection with the encounter.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acknowledged that its officer deployed the Taser during the incident but declined to provide additional comment on the matter.
The case raises significant questions about the use of electronic control devices in proximity to flammable materials and the potential dangers such deployments pose to public safety. The presence of gasoline vapors near fuel pumps creates an inherently hazardous environment where any spark or electrical discharge could trigger ignition.
As the investigation continues, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with law enforcement tactics in volatile settings and the importance of situational awareness when deploying potentially dangerous equipment.