15 PEOPLE HAVE CAUGHT FIRE AFTER BEING STUNNED

CITY» The maker of OKLAHOMA Tasers said Monday that at least 15 people have caught fire, and five have died, after being stunned while near flammable materials, similar to an Oklahoma man who was burned beyond recognition after he was shocked and reportedly got into his gasoline-soaked van.

Axon spokesman Steve Tuttle said the deaths include the man shocked Nov. 7 by a police officer in the town of Lindsey, about 45 miles south of Oklahoma City, although authorities say they are still investigating whether the man may have lit himself on fire.

“We’ve seen it happen,” Tuttle said. “It’s happened about 15 times in 24 years ... out of about 3½ million field uses” of the device, known as a conducted electrical weapon, or CEW.

“It’s a known situation. Thankfully it’s been a very rare event,” Tuttle said.

Investigators say the man in Oklahoma who caught fire was armed with a gun and was also carrying a lighter. An officer stunned him with a Taser, but the man managed to fight his way back into his van, where he burst into flames. ●●●