Oklahoma Eviction Turns into Dangerous Standoff Featuring Improvised Flamethrower

A routine eviction in Oklahoma City escalated dramatically when a tenant allegedly attacked law enforcement officers with a homemade flamethrower, according to body-camera footage released by the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.

On August 11, deputies arrived to enforce an eviction order against 61-year-old Darron Dunn. Housing Authority staff unlocked the apartment door, but it did not open fully. The officers discovered cables connected to the door and an electric wheelchair positioned behind it.

Once the deputies managed to enter the dark, cluttered apartment, Dunn was seen in a bedroom. According to the incident report, he immediately sprayed an aerosol can at an officer and a Housing Authority security officer, igniting it to create a burst of fire. The video shows a bright flash as the flames filled the doorway, prompting officers to retreat.

"Back up!" an officer yelled as the heat from the fire reached the deputy.

The flames marked the beginning of the tense standoff. Dunn reportedly had a car battery with wires near him and another wired device by the entrance. Concerned officers identified an improvised explosive hazard.

"He’s got it hooked up to the battery!" one officer exclaimed.

A deputy’s report describes the device as rows of butane lighter-fluid and carburetor-cleaner aerosol cans taped together, with exposed wires. Officials evacuated residents on the third and nearby floors while they safely disabled the wires and removed Dunn from his apartment in a wheelchair.

Bomb technicians assessed that the device was unlikely to explode, though it could have caused sparks or excessive heat if the wires touched the car-battery terminal.

Dunn was hospitalized for medical and mental health issues following the incident. Charges against him include assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession and use of incendiary devices, and obstructing an officer.

The spokesperson for the sheriff’s office noted that evictions can provoke highly charged emotional responses, and deputies witness volatile incidents during these calls.

The confrontation occurred four years after a similar eviction-related attack on officers. In a comparable incident about a year ago, another man attempted to set a deputy on fire and tragically died in the process.

Stepheny Price covers West Coast and Midwest news, crime stories, homicide cases, and border security for Fox News.