Police: Man douses himself with gas amid domestic dispute
UPPER DARBY » A domestic call early Monday resulted in the arrest of a Philadelphia man for reckless endangerment and related offenses, and police officers required “decontamination” after coming in contact with gasoline used by the defendant to douse himself, Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.
It was about 1:39 a.m. when Officer James Fagan responded to the 400 block of Lombardy Road for a domestic disturbance. Fagan was en route when he was notified by a county emergency dispatcher that a man at that location had doused himself with gasoline and was threatening to light himself on fire.
As Fagan arrived on the scene, he saw a man identified as Jean Max Cousseillant, 38, of Cottman Avenue, getting into a blue Nissan sedan.
Cousseillant was holding a large glass jug filled with suspected gasoline. When Fagan motioned for him to roll down the passenger side window, Cousseillant complied.
“While speaking with me, the defendant’s girlfriend came running over to the vehicle and began screaming at him,” the probable cause affidavit states. “This highly agitated the defendant, and as a result he dumped the gasoline all over himself while inside the vehicle.”
Fagan and fellow Officer Kalle Blidenbacher ran over to the driver’s side and opened the door.
“The defendant attempted to ignite himself using a lighter that was in his right hand,” the affidavit states.
Fagan then jumped across the defendant and grabbed his right hand, and successfully wrestled the lighter away from the defendant before he could ignite himself, Fagan and Blidenbacher.
The officers removed Cousseillant from the vehicle, though he continued to struggle with the officers. After a brief struggle, and with the assistance of Officer John Walsh, they were able to take the defendant in custody. There were no injuries. Meanwhile, fellow Upper Darby officers are crediting Fagan, Blidenbacher and Walsh for saving Cousseillant’s life.
“These officers put themselves in harm’s way to help another in crisis,” Upper Darby police tweeted Monday afternoon.
Chitwood said the three officers and Cousseillant were taken to Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital where they underwent a “decontamination” process.
According to online court records, Cousseillant was additionally charged with resisting arrest. His bail was set at 10 percent of $10,000, which he failed to post. A preliminary hearing is listed for April 25 before Magisterial District Judge Ann Berardocco.