Aussie police video shows shocking moment when arsonist sets himself on fire by accident
Aussie police video shows shocking moment when arsonist sets himself on fire by accident
Think of it as an occupational hazard that you won't get workmen's compensation for.
A man in Melbourne tried to torch a restaurant in a targeted attack but ended up setting his clothes on fire.
A video of the 2024 incident – edited with footages taken from security cameras – was released on May 28 by the Victoria state police in Australia in an appeal to the public to help find the suspect.
It is not clear why the police released the video one year after the incident.
The man tried to burn down the Al Marjan restaurant in South Melbourne on May 21, 2024, said the police.
He forced his way into the restaurant by ramming its door with his car at around 4.30am that day.
In the video, a man in a black jacket with its hood pulled up is seen pouring accelerant out of a red jerrycan onto the floor and at the bar.
He slips and slides around as the flammable liquid greases the floor, barely able to keep his balance, and seemingly oblivious that he is also splashing the liquid on himself.
He sets the accelerant on fire, and tries to run away, but the fire quickly catches the legs of his tracksuit.
The man drops and rolls on the floor to extinguish the flame spreading to his clothes.
The next clip shows him already outside the restaurant and running towards his car, his pants still on fire.
He drops to the ground again and rolls a few times.
When he finally manages to put out the fire, he steps into the car and is apparently driven off by an accomplice.
'This is yet another example of just how unpredictable fire is and the inherent dangers of arson. It is probable this man will have needed some kind of treatment for significant burns,' Taskforce Lunar Detective Inspector Graham Banks said in a statement released on May 28.
'Detectives are hopeful that today's release of CCTV will provide further avenues of enquiry, and that someone may recognise the man and provide information on his current whereabouts,' Victoria police said on Facebook.
The restaurant reported minor damage from the attempted arson, but it was again targeted on Nov 6, 2024.
'We are conscious that those involved in lighting the fires are likely the puppets for those pulling the strings in this syndicate, and they are being left with serious – or life changing, as we've seen previously – burn injuries,' said Insp Banks.
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