Man sets self afire outside White House

tekkmortal

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From Suzanne Malveaux
CNN

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 Posted: 0203 GMT (1003 HKT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A man set himself on fire about 2 p.m. Monday on Pennsylvania Avenue outside the White House.

The man, whose identity and condition have not been released, was taken to a hospital for treatment.

"Members of the uniformed Secret Service responded and administered first aid to the individual until D.C. fire and EMS arrived," said Secret Service public relations spokesman Jonathan Cherry. "The individual has been transported to the burn unit at Medstar at the Washington Hospital Center. An investigation is currently under way."

The investigation is being conducted by U.S. Park Police, whose jurisdiction includes the property directly outside the fence surrounding the White House.

President Bush went about his regular schedule during and after the incident, said White House spokesman Trent Duffy.

One witness said the man approached a security checkpoint building at the northwest gate of the White House and showed a writing pad with the word "urgent" written on it. When a uniformed Secret Service guard asked if he could help him, the man began walking along the fence toward the guard.

Another witness near the scene heard the unidentified man yelling in Arabic, "God is great," several times. And several witnesses said a bag the man was carrying started burning, pouring out thick black smoke that enveloped him.

The man appeared to fall face forward on the ground in front of the gate security building, the witnesses said, and uniformed Secret Service agents rushed to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.

The section of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House was cordoned off. Secret Service agents evacuated the immediate area in front of the White House, including the North Lawn area used by television organizations and other journalists, while initial examinations of the man and his bag were conducted


:crazy:
 
Boy, we've still got crazy people out there. What's next? Kids? Anyone still want to ban tasers? ;)
 
Boy, we've still got crazy people out there. What's next? Kids? Anyone still want to ban tasers?

LOL. Of course if the officer had a tazer, maybe he could have zapped the guy before he set himself on fire ;)

I've heard different versions of this story. One version is that the bag started to burn on its own and engulfed him with it. This would lead one to believe that some sort of incendiary device was used (something similar to bomb that ignited). He was also shouting in Arabic

Another version I keep seeing is that they don't know how the fire started, and had no information on the guy. It also isn't mention about shouting anything, let alone in arabic.

I did speak to a friend of my that works for DC Fire and he did tell me that when he was there right after it happened, there was evidence that some sort of accelerant was used (gasoline, lighter fluid or some other flammable liquid).
 
Taylor said:
LOL. Of course if the officer had a tazer, maybe he could have zapped the guy before he set himself on fire ;)

If the man had soaked himself in gasoline, wouldn't the taser set him on fire?
 
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