Armed police Taser man who doused himself in lighter fluid before barricading himself in home ‘with the gas turned on’ as neighbours are evacuated over fears of an explosion
- Streets in Little London, Leeds, were cordoned off as police dealt with situation
- Witnesses claimed man snapped after a row with a neighbour and their child
- Emergency power workers cut off gas supply amid fears the suspect intended to blow up the house, before officers stormed the house and detained him
Dozens of neighbours were evacuated after a man doused himself in lighter fluid, armed himself with a hammer and barricaded himself in his home in Leeds.
The street – Oatland Gardens, Little London, Leeds – was soon flooded with police officers and ambulance workers as the area was cordoned off for the neighbours’ safety while officers dealt with the incident.
The man, who neighbours say has been practising voodoo and snapped after a row on his doorstep with another resident, was also accused of spraying a child with bleach.
A road in Leeds was cordoned off after a man doused himself in lighter fluid, armed himself with a hammer and threatened to set himself on fire before barricading himself in his home
Emergency power workers cut off the gas supply and neighbouring houses were evacuated amid fears the suspect intended to blow up the house, which is near a children’s play area
Witnesses claim he had been angry about ‘Devil Worshippers’ and had started daubing weird symbols in the street.
The stand off ended after he set fire to the house which was stormed by armed cops who zapped the suspect with a Taser.
The child, described as a ‘baby’ in social media was unharmed. The neighbourhood in the Little London, Leeds, West Yorkshire, was cordoned off and evacuated.
Emergency power workers cut off the gas supply amid fears the suspect intended to blow up the house, which is near a children’s play area.
He had claimed to have turned on the gas before the house was engulfed by flames on Wednesday evening.
The man was said to have argued with a neighbour before spraying the neighbour’s child with bleach.
When cops arrived he armed himself with a hammer and locked himself inside.
He doused himself in lighter fuel and splashed a flammable liquid around the furnishings.
A police negotiator was called on along with armed police and fire fighters.
The man was eventually persuaded to surrender and was led away in front of his neighbours.
The crowd clapped and cheered as he was cuffed and placed in a police van.They said he had been causing misery to residents with his strange behaviour.
Witnesses claim the man practises Voodoo and began writing signs on windows in the street
Concerned for the man’s safety, armed police forced entry and deployed a Taser before taking the man into custody where he remained awaiting a mental health assessment
West Yorkshire Police said: ‘At 7.39pm yesterday, police were called to an incident in Oatland Gardens, Little London, Leeds, where a man was reported to have poured liquid over himself and was trying to light it.
‘It was also reported that a young child at a neighbouring address had been splashed with bleach. The child was not injured.
‘When officers arrived at the scene, the man picked up a hammer and barricaded himself in his home and claimed to have turned the gas on.
‘Neighbouring addresses were evacuated, the gas supply disconnected and a cordon put in place while efforts continued to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.
‘A fire was then seen inside the address and, due to the immediate risk to the man’s safety, officers forced entry to the property at about 9.10pm and detained him after deploying Taser.
‘The man remains in custody awaiting a mental health assessment.’