- Clarence Coyl caught fire after a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer deployed a TASER near a gas pump.
- The confrontation began when Coyl was accused of trespassing at a wildlife refuge.
- Coyl suffered burns and nerve damage but was not arrested or cited after the incident.
FORT MOHAVE, ARIZONA — Months after a California bride challenged a controversial DUI arrest by Phoenix police, another Arizona law-enforcement encounter captured on video is facing scrutiny. This time, a man caught fire after a federal wildlife officer deployed a TASER beside a gas pump.
Clarence “Chuck” Coyl, a Mohave Valley resident, was injured during the July 16 confrontation at Thalypo Convenience & Fireworks on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation.
Encounter Began at Wildlife Refuge
Coyl told local reporters that he and a friend had planned to fish near Catfish Paradise at the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge.
According to Coyl, the pair drove through an open gate before a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer approached and told them they were trespassing and needed to leave.
Coyl said he agreed to leave but argued with the officer after being told that he could receive a citation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not publicly released its own detailed account of the refuge encounter.
Coyl and his friend then drove approximately 20 minutes to the gas station in Fort Mohave. The same federal officer later arrived and asked Coyl to provide identification.
Cellphone Video Captures Tense Confrontation
Coyl recorded the gas-station encounter on his cellphone.
In the footage, the officer tells him that he is going to jail and repeatedly asks for his driver’s license so he can be identified. Coyl asks what he is being arrested for, while the officer responds that he is not cooperating after committing a crime.
The exchange becomes increasingly heated before the officer raises the TASER and deploys it. Coyl’s phone falls to the ground as flames suddenly erupt near the fuel pump. He can be heard screaming as the fire spreads around him.
The video does not show the earlier encounter at the wildlife refuge or everything that happened before the officer deployed the device.
Coyl Says He Used “Stop, Drop and Roll”
Coyl said he believed he might die when he realized he was on fire.
He told FOX 10 that he instinctively used the “stop, drop and roll” method to extinguish the flames before waiting for paramedics to arrive. He was later taken to a hospital for treatment.
Coyl said he suffered first- and second-degree burns to his hands and wrists, along with nerve damage affecting two fingers. Those medical details were provided by Coyl and have not been independently released by the hospital.
He also said he spent approximately five and a half hours at the hospital and was not arrested or issued a citation afterward. The federal agency has not publicly addressed whether charges or citations remain under consideration.
Federal Agency Reviewing Taser Deployment
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service confirmed that one of its officers deployed a TASER during the incident.
“A taser was deployed during this incident,” an agency spokesperson told FOX 10. “Consistent with DOI policy, all such deployments undergo review, and we are unable to comment further while that process is ongoing.”
The officer has not been formally identified by the agency. The name visible on his uniform appeared to read “P. Nielsen,” according to FOX 10.
The Fort Mojave Indian Tribe declined to comment on the incident.
Policy Warns Against Use Near Flammable Materials
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service policy permits officers to use electronic-control devices against people who are actively resisting or to prevent someone from seriously harming themselves or others.
However, the same policy states that officers generally should not deploy the devices when doing so could cause additional injuries, including when a person is contaminated by or standing near flammable or explosive materials, unless the officer can clearly explain a compelling reason.
The federal review will examine the circumstances surrounding the deployment and whether the officer’s actions complied with agency and Department of the Interior policy.
No findings from that review had been released as of July 24.
For more unusual encounters in which arrests and police interactions took unexpected turns, watch our video here:
