OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office has released body camera video from an Aug. 11 eviction attempt that ended with deputies facing flames from a man using what officers described as a homemade flamethrower. The video shows deputies trying to enter an apartment, finding the door blocked, and then pushing inside after housing authority staff unlocked it.
According to the sheriff’s office, the resident refused to open the door at first and was later found sitting in a bedroom. As deputies approached, the video shows him spraying an aerosol can while holding a lighter, creating a burst of flame toward the officers. Deputies backed out after seeing what appeared to be an improvised explosive device inside the apartment.
What Deputies Described
The sheriff’s office said the suspicious device near the front door appeared to include a car battery connected by wires to a device. Deputies also found several aerosol cans taped together and wired in a way that raised more concern, according to the account given after the scene was secured. The bomb squad was called in and disabled the device.
Body camera footage released by the agency is the clearest record of what deputies say they encountered during the eviction service. It shows the moment officers moved toward the bedroom and then retreated after flames shot through the space. WJCL reported that the sheriff’s office later identified the man’s possible charges as assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, aggravated assault, use of incendiary devices or explosives, and obstruction of an officer.
How The Scene Escalated
The incident unfolded as deputies were carrying out a routine legal process, but it quickly became a hazardous scene once the resident resisted entry and the apartment was found to contain what appeared to be a dangerous homemade device. The sheriff’s office account suggests deputies had already encountered a blocked door before moving farther inside, and the video shows how quickly the situation changed once they reached the bedroom area.
The use of an aerosol can and lighter turned an ordinary household item into a flame source, while the discovery of wired battery equipment near the entrance added another layer of risk. The case also shows how eviction service can intersect with emergency response when officers encounter weapons, fire, or suspicious devices during a civil call. The man was taken to a hospital and later to a psychiatric hospital, according to the report from WJCL.
What Happens Next
The sheriff’s office has not said whether formal charges have already been filed in court or given a timeline for the case. What is known is that deputies withdrew, the bomb squad disabled the device, and the man was transported for medical and psychiatric care after the encounter. The body camera video gives the public a rare look at how quickly an eviction can become a danger to officers and anyone nearby.
People following the case can look to the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office for future updates and to court records for any filing details, including the exact charges and hearing dates if and when they are entered. For now, the agency’s video and description remain the main public account of the incident, which happened during an eviction service at an apartment building on Aug. 11.
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