A man who had doused himself and his car with gasoline in Santa Ana was hosed down by firefighters during a tense standoff that was caught on video, officials said Thursday.
An OCFA firefighter hosed down a man who had doused himself with gasoline in Santa Ana on Jan. 22, 2020. (Credit: Santa Ana Police Department)
The incident unfolded along Standard Avenue Wednesday when authorities received a call from the man's mother who said her son was acting suicidal.
The man at one point doused himself with gasoline and got into his car, Santa Ana Police Cpl. Bertagna said.
A hostage negotiator was called to the scene, along with Orange County Fire Authority. While police were talking to the man, they noticed that he had a lighter inside in his hand.
“It’s a tense situation," Bertagna told KTLA Thursday.
He said officers were concerned that the man would hurt himself and "blow up" his car and that the "traumatic" events were unfolding in front of the man's family. He added that attempts to deescalate the situation were not working.
At one point, one of the responding firefighters approached the man in the car and began hosing him down, video released by police showed.
Officers ran behind the firefighter as the man continued to be sprayed. The man was eventually taken safely from the car and transported to a hospital for a mental evaluation.
No further details about the incident were released.